A man was stabbed in the neck with a Stanley knife outside a school in Belfast city centre, a court has heard.
Police claimed CCTV footage showed Owen McDonagh inflicting a five-inch slash wound on the victim at College Square East in broad daylight.
McDonagh (31) left the city following the alleged attack on June 12 last year and was subsequently arrested in south London.
Refusing to grant him bail, District Judge Anne Marshall ruled: “There is obviously a risk of re-offending, he is a flight risk and there is a risk of interference with witnesses.”
McDonagh, with an address at Churchill Road in London, denies charges of possessing an offensive weapon and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Belfast Magistrates Court heard the victim was stabbed in the neck with a box cutter-type knife close to the entrance of the Royal Belfast Academical Institution shortly after 4pm.
“He sustained a five-inch slice to the neck which required stitches,” an investigating detective said.
The wounded man named McDonagh as the person who had allegedly stabbed him and then left the scene.
CCTV footage obtained from a nearby building shows the incident as described by the victim, according to the detective.
Despite repeated attempts to locate the accused, he failed to return to hostel accommodation in the city.
McDonagh was detained in the Kingston area of London on August 31 and transferred back to Belfast.
During interviews he denied assaulting anyone or carrying a weapon.
Questioned by defence counsel Kelly Doherty, police confirmed the victim has yet to participate in a formal identification process.
“He has not attended, citing mental health concerns at seeing the assailant again,” the detective said.
But he added: “He named him and cooperated in every other way.”
McDonagh sought release from custody to live at an address in Co Fermanagh.
Denying the application, Judge Marshall remanded him in continuing custody until January 30.
She said: “I’m not granting him bail. He went to England after this happened and I don’t know the extent of the international record.