Man Jailed for Unprovoked Attacks on North Belfast Family and Neighbours

A nine-month prison sentence has been handed down to a man following a series of unprovoked assaults that took place in our North Belfast community. Omar Abdolmajeed was sentenced this week at Belfast Crown Court by Judge Gordon Kerr KC after pleading guilty to four counts of common assault.

The court heard details of the distressing incident which occurred on April 18, 2022. A mother and her son had stopped in North Belfast to pick up a friend for a trip when they were approached by Abdolmajeed, who was wearing a mask and hood. After demanding their bags and being refused, he attacked the son, punching him in the face and throwing stones. When the mother attempted to help her son, she was also assaulted, sustaining injuries to her eye and abdomen.

Local residents showed great courage during the incident, with several neighbours stepping in to restrain the attacker until police arrived. During the struggle, a female resident was kicked and another male neighbour was punched in the face. While Abdolmajeed initially claimed self-defence and was at large for 17 months before his recent arrest, he eventually pleaded guilty to the charges.

In passing the sentence, Judge Kerr took into account the defendant's mental health struggles at the time of the offences, including an untreated psychotic illness. However, the judge emphasised that the nature of these unprovoked assaults made a custodial sentence necessary. The nine-month term reflects the seriousness of the attacks on members of the public who were simply going about their daily lives in our neighbourhood.