Man, 44, charged with smashing Belfast’s Big Fish sculpture

Oliver Pritchard-Jones | Freelance news reporter Published September 20, 2026 9:46pm Updated September 20, 2026 9:46pm Damage was caused to the ‘Big Fish’ sculpture in an overnight incident in Belfast. (Picture: Jonathan McCambridge/PA Wire) A man is set to appear in court for vandalising Belfast’s famous Big Fish sculpture. The 44-year-old has been charged with criminal damage and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place after the attack left it with ‘significant damage’, police said. He remained in custody this evening and is due to appear at Belfast Magistrates’ Court tomorrow (Monday). The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said they arrested a suspect after receiving reports that the sculpture, which is located in the Donegall Quay area of the city, was being damaged in the early hours of this morning (Sunday). A social media image of it appeared to show that one side of it had been damaged around the eye. A 44-year-old man has been arrested by police investigating the damage. (Picture: PA) Sergeant Kelly, from the force, said: ‘Officers attended the scene, where it was noted that significant damage had been caused to the left eye of the sculpture.’ Sergeant Kelly added: ‘Our inquiries are ongoing and we would appeal to anyone with information to contact police using our witness appeal form. ‘Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.’ The PSNI said that as is usual procedure, all charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: Baby, 1, in pushchair bitten in face by German Shepherd Arrow MORE: Fearless bystander takes on knifeman terrorising takeaway with fire extinguisher Arrow MORE: Three men stabbed outside Liverpool LGBT+ nightclub with suspect on the run Breaking News Never miss the biggest stories with breaking news alerts in your inbox.