Belfast attacker intervention hero redirects £30k fund to victim, condemns anti-immigrant violence

A man hailed for helping stop an alleged knife attacker in Belfast, UK, has urged that thousands of pounds raised in his name be redirected to the victim and his family, while condemning the anti-immigration violence that has erupted in the city following the incident. Maitiu Mag Tighearnan, 32, intervened during Monday night's attack on Stephen Ogilvie in north Belfast, striking the alleged assailant with a hurling stick before police arrived. Footage of the intervention quickly spread online, prompting supporters to launch a fundraiser that has raised more than £30,000. Speaking on Good Morning Britain, Tighearnán said the money should instead support Ogilvie, who remains in hospital after suffering life-changing injuries. The victim lost his left eye and sustained serious wounds to his neck, back and face in the attack, which happened on Kinnaird Avenue at about 10.30pm. Tighearnan rejected suggestions that he was a hero, describing his actions as an instinctive response to seeing someone in danger. "It was a natural reaction," he said, adding that he and a friend had come across the incident by chance while taking a shortcut to a petrol station. Believing two men were fighting, they stopped to intervene before realising a knife was involved. He said he grabbed a hurling stick from his car, which had been used earlier that day during his son's sports practice, and struck the alleged attacker in an effort to stop the assault. The victim's family has since contacted Tighearnan to thank him, telling him that the intervention by members of the public helped save Ogilvie's life. Meanwhile, Sudanese asylum seeker Hadi Alodid, 30, has been charged with attempted murder, possession of a bladed article and making threats to kill. He appeared before Belfast Magistrates' Court and was remanded in custody. The charges relate to the attack on Ogilvie. Alodid has not yet entered a plea. The stabbing has been followed by two nights of disorder across Northern Ireland. Police said 12 officers were injured and 16 arrests were made during unrest on Wednesday night. Tighearnan criticised those involved in the violence, saying legitimate protest loses its purpose when it turns destructive. "Everyone is entitled to their right of opinion and their right to protest. When it turns violent, then you lose sight of the protest and what it stands for," he said. Violence was reported in Belfast, Newtownabbey and Londonderry, with officers facing bricks, petrol bombs and other projectiles. Police deployed water cannons as crowds attacked property and set vehicles on fire. Ogilvie's family also distanced themselves from the unrest, issuing a statement through police in which they said they were "disgusted" by the scenes that had unfolded. The family stressed that they did not want the attack used to fuel division or hostility, adding that many migrants make valuable contributions to society, including in healthcare and hospitality. "We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or fuel hostility," the statement said. "Do not do this in the name of our loved one as we do not share the same values."