Axel Rudakubana has admitted to carrying out one of the most deadly child attacks in British history.
According to Knewz.com, Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time, confessed to creating the lethal toxin ricin and possessing terrorist materials after he stabbed and killed three young girls during a dance lesson in Southport with a Taylor Swift theme last summer.
Wearing a blue face mask, the now 18-year-old refused to identify himself or stand for the judge on the opening day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court.
He calmly entered a guilty plea to all charges after speaking briefly with his attorney.
Eventually, Rudakubana admitted to killing Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, Bebe King, 6, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9.
In addition, he admitted to trying to kill businessman John Hayes, class instructor Leanne Lucas, and eight other youngsters, the identities of whom are legally protected.
The teen joined a dance class at The Hart Space in Southport with a knife on July 29, 2024, with a Swift theme.
On the day of the assault, Rudakubana was taken into custody and accused of murder, attempted murder, and possession of a weapon. After authorities discovered similar materials three months later, he was also charged with terrorism offenses and making ricin.
In addition to entering a guilty plea to all charges, he acknowledged that from August 2021 to July 2024, he had the Al Qaeda Training Manual, Military Studies In The Jihad Against The Tyrants.
The Southport attack was not considered a terrorist act, even though a terrorist paper was found.
His lawyer only took action after a 15-minute session that was intended to discuss legal issues prior to a drawn-out trial.
On Thursday, Rudakubana will receive his sentencing.
Rudakubana stunned the court by abruptly switching his plea from not guilty to guilty while he was flanked by four guards, dressed in a grey tracksuit and blue facemask.
After a brief, inaudible conversation with his attorney, he discreetly entered a guilty plea to all 16 charges, including the killings of three girls, despite his earlier refusal to stand and affirm his name in court.
Before the court discussed his sentencing, Rudakubana entered his pleas with his head lowered and his voice muffled by his facemask.
Before imposing a sentence, Mr. Justice Goose asked Mr. Reiz, Rudakubana’s attorney, if there was anything further they wanted to talk about.
Reiz did not go into detail, but he indicated that serious mental health conditions and past events might affect the sentence.
As the judge verified the guilty pleas and scheduled the sentencing for Thursday at 11 a.m., Rudakubana remained obedient, stating that a life sentence was unavoidable. The defendant then lowered his head as he was led out of the courtroom.
The judge apologized for the absence of the victims’ relatives, who had anticipated that the trial would start the next day, and promised to consult them prior to sentencing.
About ten years ago, Rudakubana and his family relocated from Cardiff to Banks, where their neighbors characterized them as “unremarkable.”
Rudakubana, according to a local, usually kept to himself and rarely interacted with others; only the father, who worked, was ever spotted.
Rudakubana remained unidentified after being indicted because of his age, as police do not identify suspects before to charging them. Rudakubana was 17 at the time of the attack.
Swift, 34, expressed her condolences to the victims’ families after being “shaken” by the attack.
According to a source, Taylor has been subtly and methodically contacting the families of the kids involved in the Southport tragedy, extending sympathetic words and invitations to meet her backstage.
“She feels awful about this and it has shaken her to the core.”