Sky News presenter Jayne Secker interrupted the broadcaster's regular programming to deliver a breaking update on the Belfast riots. 'Bit more about what's happening in Belfast,' she said. 'A 42-year-old man has been charged now with riot, attempted criminal damage, and assault on a police designated person.'
This is from the Police Service of Northern Ireland. They say he's due to appear at Belfast Magistrates' Court today. As is normal procedure, all charges are to be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service, and this relates to the disorder which occurred last night. So the first person that we know of, a 42-year-old man, has been charged with riots, attempted criminal damage and assault on a police designated person.
This update came following a night of disorder in the city. Homes and vehicles were set on fire as protesters took to the streets on Tuesday (June 9) after a knife attack on Monday.
The major incident saw a bus burned down, homes set alight, and police officers targeted with violence on Tuesday night. The disorder broke out following a stabbing on Monday. A Sudanese suspect has been charged with attempted murder. He was also charged with possessing a bladed article and making threats to kill an NHS worker on the same day as Monday's attack.
The victim, Stephen Ogilvie, is in hospital and has lost his left eye, Belfast Magistrates' Court heard on Wednesday. In a statement issued earlier today, his family have urged that the 'overnight unrest is not welcome, and peaceful protest is the only way forward'.
They also defended migrants in the city, saying: 'We have many migrants who make a deeply valuable contribution to our country, including in our healthcare system and hospitality sector and we depend on them to make our country work.' Following Tuesday's disorder, Translink has stopped Glider bus services.
Sir Keir Starmer dubbed Tuesday's rioting 'unacceptable' and added it was 'clear' people were being targeted 'because of their background'. Damien Fennell, who was acquitted in 2017 of inviting support for the Irish Republican Army (IRA), has now pledged to support families in the Ardoyne area of the city.
It is reported that masked men targeted the homes of minority and Black families in and around Ardoyne. They allegedly threatened to force them out of their homes before local residents mobilised to defend them.
