A man's in hospital with serious injuries after what footage appears to show as an attempted beheading on a north Belfast street, with bystanders charging in to stop the attacker before police arrested one man at the scene.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said officers were called to Kinnaird Avenue shortly after 10:30pm on Monday 8 June. A man was taken to hospital with what police described as serious injuries. A second man's in custody.

International wire service BNO News has carried the story under the headline "Man seriously injured in attempted beheading in Northern Ireland." The Mirror reported that "disturbing videos circulating online appear to show a man being stabbed multiple times in the head."

What the footage shows

Graphic footage circulating online, reported by BNO News and the Mirror, shows the suspect on top of the victim in the middle of the road, making repeated motions toward the victim's head and neck. Bystanders are seen rushing in to intervene, with one person striking the suspect with an object.

In the video reported by the Mirror, bystanders are heard telling arriving officers "he's trying to cut his head off."

The eyewitness account

An eyewitness told the Belfast Telegraph: "Three men, one armed with a hurl, got the fella with the knife off the victim."

A hurl is a hurling stick, used in the Irish sport of hurling.

The Belfast Telegraph also reported that police recovered a small Stanley type knife at the scene.

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⚠️WARNING GRAPHIC VIDEO CONTENT THAT MIGHT BE DISTURBING

The PSNI statement

A police spokesperson said: "Police in north Belfast are currently in attendance at Kinnaird Avenue following the report of a stabbing incident shortly after 10.30pm on Monday 8th June.

"A man has been arrested in relation to the incident and is in police custody while a second man has been taken to hospital with serious injuries.

"Officers will remain in the area to conduct their enquiries and would ask anyone who witnessed this incident, or who may have captured dash-cam or CCTV footage from the area which could help with their investigation, to call them at Tennent Street on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 1654 08/06/26."

PSNI's official language has stayed clinical, calling it "a stabbing incident." That's narrower than the framing being used by international press covering the footage.

Officers remained at the scene late on Monday night with cordons in place.

Community reaction

DUP Councillor Jordan Doran said he'd been "left shocked and deeply concerned" by the incident, and that it had "caused significant fear" in the community.

The Democratic Unionist Party is a centre right unionist party that holds seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly and Belfast City Council.

In a social media statement, Mr Doran said:

  • "Many residents have contacted me expressing concerns about community safety and seeking reassurance following this incident."
  • "Those concerns are entirely understandable. People deserve to feel safe in their homes and communities, regardless of where they live."
  • "What is beyond dispute is that violence of this nature has no place in North Belfast."

What's not yet known

Police haven't released the identity of the victim or the suspect. The suspect's age, background and the circumstances surrounding the attack haven't been disclosed.

No charges have been laid at the time of writing. Any motive remains unconfirmed. Whether the two men knew each other isn't known.

The man arrested remains in police custody. He hasn't been charged. The presumption of innocence applies.

What happens next

The investigation is ongoing. Police are asking anyone with information, dash cam footage or CCTV from the area to contact Tennent Street on the non emergency number 101, quoting reference number 1654 08/06/26.

A formal update from PSNI on charges and the identity of those involved is expected in the coming hours.

Sources: