Whole country thinking of Southport families as trial begins Home Secretary

The Home Secretary has said the whole country is thinking of the families of those killed in the Southport knife attack as the man accused of their murders goes on trial.

Eighteen-year-old Axel Rudakubana, of Banks, Lancashire, will stand trial at Liverpool Crown Court charged with the murders of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, who died in the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class at The Hart Space shortly before midday on July 29.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “This will be a deeply traumatic and distressing time for the families of Alice, Bebe and Elsie, the survivors, and the people of Southport, and the whole country will be thinking of them.

“The most important thing for all of us is to ensure that the legal process can take its course, to respect the difficult job the court has to do, so there is a fair trial and justice can be done.

“There will be a time at the end of this trial to discuss what happened and the action needed in response to this horrific tragedy. But for now, and until the proceedings have concluded, the priority for all of us must be to ensure justice is done.”

Rudakubana is accused of the attempted murders of eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes in the same incident.

He is also charged with possession of a knife on the day of the attack, 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 alleged 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 that he shared with his parents, who were originally from Rwanda.

Last week, the Attorney General warned about the risk of publishing anything which could influence the jury.

An advisory issued on Thursday said: “While proceedings are active, the Attorney General is reminding editors, publishers and social media users that fair and accurate reporting of legal proceedings held in public in good faith is permitted.

“However, you may be at risk of being in contempt of court if you publish material or comment online that is inaccurate, unfair or involves discussion or commentary which could influence the jury’s deliberations.

“This includes anything that asserts or assumes, expressly or implicitly, the guilt of Axel Rudakubana. This is due to the risk of potentially jeopardising the criminal trial.”

Rudakubana has not spoken during earlier court hearings and not guilty pleas were entered on his behalf when he failed to respond after the charges were put to him.

His trial is expected to last up to four weeks.

Published: 20/01/2025 by Radio NewsHub