Southport stabbings suspect to stand trial today

Southport stabbings suspect Axel Rudakubana will appear in court to stand trial today.

Rudakubana, 18, is charged with the murders of six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar, who were killed during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class at the Hart Space in Southport on July 29 last year.

He will go on trial at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday (January 20). Rudakubana, of Banks in Lancashire, is also accused of attempting to murder eight other girls, aged between seven and 13, who cannot be named for legal reasons, reports the Liverpool Echo.

His charges also include attempting to murder two adults, Leanne Lucas and John Hayes, who were also stabbed during the incident, and possession of a bladed article in a public place, namely a kitchen knife with a curved blade.

The teenager is also accused of additional offences of production of a biological toxin, namely ricin, and possession of information of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, namely a PDF file entitled "Military Studies in the Jihad Against the Tyrants: The Al-Qaeda Training Manual", in October last year.

Rudakubana did not speak at his previous court appearances. When he appeared before Liverpool Crown Court for his plea hearing via video link to HMP Belmarsh in December 2024, he sat swaying from side-to-side.

Not guilty pleas were entered on his behalf by trial judge Mr Justice Goose. The trial, which is scheduled to last up to four weeks, will begin today.