Man (24) remanded following racially motivated stabbing in Derry

A man has been remanded in custody at Derry Magistrate's Court today charged with what was described as a racially motivated stabbing in Foyle Street in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Daniel Murphy (24) of Moyraverty Meadows in Craigavon appeared charged with wounding a man with intent to do grievous bodily harm on October 13.

He was also charged with possessing a knife with intent to wound and stealing a soft drink on the same date.

A police officer connected the accused to the charges and opposed bail.

The court heard that police were called by the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service at around 1.40am reporting they were en route to a stabbing in Foyle Street.

They found the alleged injured party at the Bus Stop Stores  suffering from two stab wounds one to his shoulder and one to his abdomen.

There was said to be a large amount of blood in the shop and in the street and the perpetrator had said to have run off. 
The officer said that the defendant had been carrying a rucksack which he had left behind and a search of this discovered a letter addressed to the defendant.

The court heard that around 2.00am police received a report of a man allegedly being knocked down in the Carlisle Road area and found Murphy covered in blood but with no visible injuries.

The injured party was taken to Altnagelvin Hospital and the wound on his shoulder was so deep it had chipped a bone.

Police were told that the defendant had been observed in Foyle Street acting in 'a hyper manner' and had then entered the shop and was acting erratically.

Murphy was said to have lifted a soft drink and started drinking from it and when approached by the alleged victim he told him 'get out of the country, go back to where you came from'.

When Murphy tried to leave without paying for the soft drink a struggle ensued and the injured party grabbed the rucksack to stop Murphy leaving.

The injured party said he felt several blows but didn't realise there was a knife involved until members of the public shouted there was a weapon.

The defendant was then said to have run off.

At interview the defendant initially made no comment and then gave police a pre-prepared statement in which he denied any intent to murder or wound.

He said that he was 'set upon' and defended himself.

Bail was opposed because police believe that the defendant was 'a danger to the public' and had been convicted for an assault occasioning actual bodily harm in January this year.

A defence barrister said that his client would not be in the city regularly and had an address well outside the jurisdiction.

He said that the seriousness of the offences were were not grounds for the refusal of bail.

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

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District Judge Michael Ranaghan said that the offences were at 'the higher end of the scale'.

He refused bail due to the risk of re-offending and failure to comply with conditions. 

Murphy was remanded in custody to appear again on November 7.