Londonderry: Man in court over ‘racially-motivated’ stabbing

The injured party felt several blows but didn’t realise there was a knife involved until alerted to it by members of the public.

The defendant initially made no comment during police interview, before giving prepared statement denying any intent to murder or wound.

He said that he was “set upon” and had defended himself.

Opposing bail, police said the defendant was a “danger to the public” and had been convicted for an assault occasioning actual bodily harm earlier this year.

A defence barrister accepted this was a serious offence but said that the alleged victim was a stranger to his client.

He told the court his client would not be in the city regularly and had an address well outside the jurisdiction.

District Judge Michael Ranaghan said that the offences were at “the higher end of the scale” and he refused bail.