Southport killer's spine-chilling final words before schoolgirl rampage
Axel Rudakubana went on a 'frenzied' killing spree last summer, claiming the lives of three little girls who had moments before been enjoying a Taylor Swift-themed dance class
Shortly before his killing rampage at a dance class in Southport, Axel Rudakubana is said to have issued a chilling message to a local who confronted him.
The 18-year-old knifeman, of Banks, Lancashire, took a taxi to The Hart Space, which was hosting a summer holiday Taylor Swift-themed dance class, shortly before midday on July 29. Once inside, he attacked anyone in his path, leaving Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine; Bebe King, six; and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, all tragically dead.
On Tuesday, Rudakubana â who had been reported to the government's Prevent counter-extremism scheme at least three times before the stabbings â pleaded guilty to their murders and also to eight counts of attempted murder in relation to eight other children, who cannot be named. He also pleaded guilty to the attempted murders of teacher Leanne Lucas and businessman Jonathan Hayes, who were critically injured in their fight to save the children, aged between seven and 11.
Liverpool Crown Court has today been hearing from victims and their devastated families in powerful testimony. Their bravery comes as cowardly Rudakubana was evicted from the dock after repeatedly disrupting proceedings by shouting, asking the judge to be seen by a paramedic and saying he was feeling ill. However, the judge has insisted he will return to court to find out the number of years he will spend behind bars for his "sadistic" crimes.
On July 29, just minutes before the dance class was due to wrap up, with parents patiently waiting for their little ones to finish outside, Rudakubana stormed into the studio and subjected them to a 'ferocious attack'.
Three little girls died in the tragedy (Image:
ADAM VAUGHAN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)Before entering the building, taking advantage of the door being open in the July heat, the killer travelled by taxi to the Hart Street area. An eyewitness told how he'd challenged a man mere minutes before the 'frenzied attack' began, after he refused to pay his taxi fare. Colin Parry, the owner of the Masters Vehicle Body Repairs confronted the man in question, only for him to chillingly reply, "What are you gonna do about it?"
Colin, whose business is located just 50 metres or so from where the attack took place, said at the time: "He came down our driveway in a taxi and didn't pay for the taxi, so I confronted him at that point. He was quite aggressive. The customer I was dealing with at the time confronted him as well, and he said the same to him. Then he turned around and walked out of the drive."
While continuing to work on a vehicle, moments later a frantic co-worker rang Colin, alerting him to the devastating scenes of violence. Stating that he'd been left 'numb' after witnessing the horror, Colin recalled: "When he came in here you wouldn't have known that he had anything on him or any intent to do anything like that, but that's probably why he didn't carry on the confrontation with us â because he knew what he was going to do."
Business owner Colin was left feeling numb after witnessing the violent scenes (Image:
Getty Images)Rudakubana was just 13 when he was first sent to Prevent, the government's anti-terror programme, with two other referrals made in 2021. After one of the referrals, it was recommended that he be referred to other services, however it is not known if this happened.
The killer was first referred to Prevent over concerns he was looking at material about school massacres in the US, and a fascination with violence. He has referred again after viewing material on Libya and past terrorist attacks, including those in London in 2017. He was judged three times not to pose a terrorism risk, and was thus outside the scope of the scheme. According to shocked former neighbours, the teenager was an 'introvert' who 'was never out'.
One former next-door neighbour, a 55-year-old civil servant who wished to remain anonymous, said: "The youngest child was very quiet, an introvert. He was quite clingy to his mum while his older brother was more boisterous and would stick his tongue out at you. But [the parents] were an ordinary couple struggling to make a go of things here. I would speak to them over the garden fence but didnât get to know them well. They were renting here for about 18 months to two years. The youngest boy hadnât started school but the older one was at the primary nearby. The eldest boy would be kicking footballs, running around screaming but the youngest was quiet, he was very young."
Cardiff-born Rudakubana further pleaded guilty to possessing a knife on the date of the killings, which he bought on Amazon, production of a biological toxin, ricin, on or before July 29, and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism.
The terrorism offence relates to a PDF file entitled Military Studies In The Jihad Against The Tyrants, The Al Qaeda Training Manual, which he is said to have possessed between August 29 2021 and July 30 2024. The ricin, a deadly poison, and the document were found during searches of the home in Old School Close which he shared with his parents, who are originally from Rwanda.
Documents about Nazi Germany, the Rwandan genocide and car bombs were found on Rudakubana's devices during police searches of his home. Sources said the material showed an "obsession with extreme violence" but there was no evidence he subscribed to any political or religious ideology or was "fighting for a cause".
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