Teen charged with attempted murder in Belfast stabbing

An 18-year-old man has appeared in court in Belfast on charges related to a stabbing incident. Yasser Oumeraci, from St Gemmas Court, is accused of attempted murder and having an offensive weapon. The charges stem from an incident on March 1, where a 51-year-old man was stabbed on Ormeau Road. Oumeraci is also facing charges of making threats to kill, criminal damage, and possession of a knife. He has been in Northern Ireland since 2023. The police initially detained him under the Terrorism Act while they looked into a possible ideological motive but later separated those allegations from the current charges. In court, Oumeraci spoke through an Arabic interpreter and confirmed he understood the charges against him. A detective inspector stated there is a connection between Oumeraci and the charges. His lawyer requested a psychiatric assessment, which the court approved. District Judge Steven Keown remanded Oumeraci in custody until April 16. During the hearing, he questioned whether Oumeraci agreed to share any medical reports, but Oumeraci declined, stating he did not need any further tests.