Stabbed Belfast Health Centre Worker 'Stable'

A 40-year-old woman who was stabbed more than 20 times in the Grove Wellbeing Centre on the York Road remains in a stable condition in hospital today.

Staff and members of the public who were in the reception area of the north Belfast centre where the attack took place were left shocked and horrified after witnessing the stabbing.

This morning, Darren Todd, 23, from Pound Street in Newtownards, was charged with the attack on Mary McReynolds and was said in court to have been arrested soon afterwards in Holywood, Co Down.

The 23-year-old was remanded in custody having also been charged with attempted grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon during the hearing at Belfast Magistrates Court which lasted for less than two minutes.

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein has called on the health minister to launch an immediate inquiry.

MLA Gerry Kelly has called on the NIO Health Minister, Edwin Poots to begin an immediate inquiry into the role of social services leading up to the incident, as the victim is believed to be a social worker based in the centre.

"My information is that the woman had expressed serious concerns about being asked to attend the meeting," said the MLA today.

"It seems that these concerns were tragically not taken into account," he said

"After a meeting arranged by Social Services in the Grove Wellbeing Centre on the York Road a woman was brutally attacked and stabbed.

"I am calling on Edwin Poots to immediately put in place an inquiry to establish how this incident was allowed to happen.

"Obviously the criminal part of the investigation is proceeding but this does not deal with the concerns being raised with me about the role of Social Services in the events leading up to the attack.

"My concern is that there should be safeguards to protect vulnerable individuals from attack even when meetings such as the one today are thought necessary," he said.

(BMcC/GK)