Stephen Ogilvie, the 44-year-old victim of a brutal knife attack in Belfast earlier this week, was reportedly subjected to a horrific ordeal over two decades ago when he was drugged and set on fire by a gang leader.
Ogilvie remains in a serious condition in hospital after sustaining knife wounds to his face, neck, and back during an attack on Monday night in the Kinnaird Avenue area of Belfast. He is believed to have lost sight in one eye as a result of the assault.
According to reports from the Daily Record, Ogilvie was previously attacked in West Lothian, Scotland, in 2001 by Ulster drug dealer David McLeave. Ogilvie had moved from Belfast to live with McLeave in a flat in Livingston. The attack occurred while Ogilvie was watching television.
McLeave, then 21, drugged Ogilvie with the date rape drug GHB, stripped him, poured aftershave over his body, and set him on fire. Ogilvie, who is understood to have learning difficulties, woke up to find himself engulfed in flames. The entire ordeal was recorded on video by the perpetrators. Following the attack, Ogilvie fled back to Belfast.
In April 2003, McLeave was sentenced to 14 years in prison at the High Court in Edinburgh. His accomplices—Paul Campbell (20), Thomas Irvine (21), Edward Lindsay (23), and Lee Kingham (21)—were jailed on drug-related charges. Barry Campbell, brother of Paul, received a six-year sentence for his role in abducting Ogilvie and for possessing a rifle without a license.
During the court proceedings, Ogilvie expressed his fear, stating, "I am terrified and my nerves are shattered."
Following the recent stabbing, Hadi Alodid, 30, a Sudanese national, has been charged with attempted murder and appeared at Belfast Magistrates' Court. Alodid also faces charges of making threats to kill an NHS radiographer and possession of a knife. He refused legal representation and made no reply to the charges, which were interpreted for him in Arabic. He has been remanded in custody.
It is understood that Ogilvie knew Alodid and was attempting to assist him as he settled into the flat block they shared in Belfast.
Police have disclosed that Alodid crossed into Northern Ireland via the Irish border in February 2023, having flown into Dublin from Paris. He lodged an asylum claim and was granted leave to remain in the UK until 2028 in September 2023. Investigators have confirmed no evidence links the stabbing to terrorism.
In a statement released through Independent Councillor Stafford Ward, Ogilvie's family expressed their devastation: "We are completely devastated by the horrific attack on our loved one on Kinnaird Avenue. This has been a massive shock to our whole family, and right now, our only priority is being at his bedside and helping him recover."
