Man charged with stabbing in Belfast court

A man has appeared in court facing charges related to a stabbing incident in Belfast. Yasser Oumeraci, who lives in St Gemmas Court, has been in Northern Ireland since 2023. Oumeraci was first detained under the Terrorism Act as police looked into whether the stabbing had a religious motive. However, none of the current charges involve the Terrorism Act. He is accused of threatening to kill a male patient after being arrested on March 7. Additionally, Oumeraci faces charges for possessing a knife and damaging tires on a Volkswagen. These charges are linked to an incident that happened in the St Gemma's Court area between February 24 and February 27. In court on Wednesday, Oumeraci spoke through an interpreter and confirmed that he understood the accusations against him. A detective inspector stated that there was enough evidence to link him to the charges. His defense lawyer, Sinead Marmion, requested psychiatric evaluations for Oumeraci. He is not seeking bail and will remain in custody until his next court date on April 16. The judge ordered a mental health assessment but noted that Oumeraci did not agree to medical reports being shared with the prosecution or defense.