Politics UK@PolitlcsUK
🚨 The horrific details of Axel Rudakubana's Southport murders, which have resulted in a life sentence with a minimum term of 52 years
- While under arrest at the Police station after the incident, Rudakubana was heard to say: "It’s a good thing those children are dead… I’m so glad… so happy"
- He contiuned: "I don’t care, I’m feeling neutral. Literally, such a good thing those kids are dead, 6 years old… So happy, 6 years old. It’s a good thing they are dead, yeah"
- Rudakubana claimed in court that he was in "pain" and his "chest is hurting", saying he "can't continue with this". He was removed from the dock two times because of shouting
- On the day of the murders he had with him a kitchen knife with a 20cm-long blade, manufactured by Apollo Cerbera. It was one of two identical knives he had purchased from Amazon on 13 July 2024, taking steps to hide his identity when he did so by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
- He deleted his laptop browser history before leaving home
- He booked a taxi to collect him and take him to 34a Hart Street - the address of The Hart Space where the Taylor Swift event was in full flow. The booking was made in the name "Simon"
- Upon arrival at Hart Street, he asked the driver to direct him to 34a before leaving the vehicle without paying, prompting the driver to follow him, making repeated requests for payment, which were ignored
- Rudakubana initially walked towards Masters Vehicle Body Repairs, located next door to The Hart Space. Its owner, Colin Parry, told Rudakubana he needed to pay the taxi driver but he responded: "What are you going to do about it?" He then turned around and made his way next door
- After entering the dance studio "without saying a word, he grabbed the child nearest to him from behind and put his arm around her". At first, Leanne Lucas [the instructor] thought he was there to collect her, but he then moved on to a second child and then a third, Alice Da Silva Aguiar
- Rudakubana moved "quickly" through the room and didn't say anything: "It was only when he reached her and she felt a knife go into her back that Leanne Lucas realised he was armed and stabbing them"
- Heer says the instructor recalls children running down the stairs and that she followed them into the car park, calling 999 as she did so. Once outside, she told them to "run away, run away"
- One of the girls ran towards the toilet on the landing at the top of the stairs. Fellow teacher Heidi Liddle followed her inside, locked the door, and braced her foot against it. She told the girl to remain very quiet and not to make a sound. When she heard voices outside the toilet door, crying for the defendant to stop, she realised that not all of the children had managed to escape
- A mother was waiting to collect her daughter and was sitting in her car in the car park when she heard screaming and saw people running from the building. She managed to grab her daughter and get her into the car. Three other children also got into her vehicle, while Alice Da Silva Aguiar collapsed by the side of the vehicle, badly injured. She later died
- At 11:46, CCTV footage shows a child trying to leave the building, only to be pulled back inside by Rudakubana. She is subsequently seen stumbling from the building and collapsing outside. She survived
- The prosecution describes Jonathan Hayes, who worked in an office across the landing from the dance studio. Hayes heard "screaming" and, when he looked out of his window, saw "some children running across the car park"
- When a colleague shouted that a child was bleeding in the car park, Hayes went to try and help. As Hayes walked onto the landing, he saw the body of a child lying motionless on the floor, likely Bebe King. Rudakubana was crouching over the child and then began to approach Hayes, following him into his office as he retreated. Rudakubana swiped at Hayes with a knife, which he tried to grab, but was stabbed in the leg and subsequently fell to the ground
- Driving by, Marcin Tyjon and Joel Verite saw children running across Hart Street and a blood-covered woman, Leanne Lucas, screaming that someone was stabbing the kids. Verite noticed Lucas was injured and saw a child lying on the ground. He carried Alice Da Silva Aguiar into the street, where Tyjon performed CPR under 999 operator instructions.
- Verite ran into the building and up the stairs but retreated upon seeing the defendant pacing on the landing with a large knife. At 11:57, an officer arrived to find a panicked crowd. Verite and the officer, who had a taser drawn, re-entered and found the defendant standing over Bebe King, who had severe stab injuries
- Rudakubana dropped the bloodied kitchen knife when ordered. Verite then carried Bebe King out of the building, screaming as he did so
- The court is shown a video of Heidi Liddle and a girl being rescued by Police from a bathroom in the dance studio. Officers can be heard shouting "Police" and one exclaims "Jesus" upon entering the scene. Loud crying is heard in the video. In total, Axel Rudakubana stabbed 13 people, killing three
- Details of the victims' severe injuries were shared, causing some to leave the public gallery. Families have requested that the graphic details not be reported
- The court hears Axel Rudakubana used extreme force, stabbing children multiple times. Elsie Dot Stancombe's injuries were so severe that she could not have been saved, even with immediate paramedic assistance. Bebe King, found on the landing outside the studio door, had "defensive" injuries. According to the pathologist, her injuries were also untreatable, regardless of how quickly help arrived
- Prosecutor Heer says Police found Rudakubana had downloaded documents like Military Studies in the Jihad Against the Tyrants and The Al Qaeda Training Manual, which gave instructions on acts of terror. The manual was downloaded three times in 2021. By last July, Rudakubana had instructions from the manual on executing a knife attack with lethal force.
- Heer says Police found images of knives and machetes on Rudakubana’s tablet, which he had searched for on online retailers. He had sent emails inquiring about buying knives, some asking if deliveries could be made in plain packaging. One email revealed he tried to buy a 20cm-blade knife on June 21, 2024, but the order was cancelled due to non-payment
- Heer said Rudakubana’s tablet contained numerous images related to wars and conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Korea, Iraq, and the Balkans, along with violent content, including images of dead bodies, torture, beheadings, and offensive cartoons. The material also mocked various religions, including Islam, Judaism, and Christianity
- Heer described this as a broad range of material that reveals Rudakubana’s fascination with extreme violence, including information on killings and weapons capable of causing death
- Ricin found in his bedroom could have killed up to 12,500 people with more purification
Rudakubana’s background:
- The court heard about Rudakubana’s background: born in Cardiff, he moved to Southport in 2013 and attended The Range High School in Formby in 2017
- On 4 October 2019, he contacted Childline asking, "What should I do if I want to kill somebody?" He later explained he hated a school bully and wanted to kill them
- A Police visit followed, where Rudakubana admitted taking a knife to school and using it if he became angry. He was temporarily excluded, later permanently, after admitting to bringing a knife to school on about 10 occasions. Referrals were made to MASH and CAMHS
- Rudakubana was enrolled at The Acorns School on 17 October 2019 and admitted he brought a knife to his previous school "to use it"
- On 11 December 2019, he booked a taxi to Range High School, carrying a hockey stick, and attacked a pupil. Police found a knife in his backpack, leading to charges for assault, possession of an offensive weapon, and a bladed article. He pleaded guilty and received a referral order
- The Acorns School refused to allow him on-site, instead sending work home, which he did not complete. He returned under two-to-one supervision in July 2020 and was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in February 2021
- Heer states Rudakubana was referred to Prevent three times between 2019 and 2021: first in November 2019 for researching school shootings during an IT class, and twice in 2021 for posting images of Colonel Gaddafi on Instagram and researching the London Bridge terror attack
- After incidents at home, he stopped attending school in May 2021. In March 2022, he was offered a place at Presfield High School but did not attend
- Days after purchasing knives on 22 July 2024, Rudakubana booked a taxi under the name "Simon" to go to The Range High School. His father intervened, pleading with the driver not to take him, leading to an argument after which Rudakubana exited the car
- Heer suggested it was no coincidence this occurred on the last day of term, with students finishing at 12:30, implying it was an earlier attempt to commit similar offences to those at The Hart Space a week later
Sentence:
- The Judge, Mr Justice Goose, jailed him for life and said if Rudakubana had been 18 at the time of the attack he would have received a whole-life term - meaning no possibility of release
