A guilty plea has today (January 20) been entered by the teenager charged over the “savage and senseless” killings at a Taylor Swift dance party in Southport last summer.
On July 29 last year, three children were killed in a knife attack that took place at a Swift-themed dance and yoga workshop on Hart Street in Southport. Six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar died following the attack.
Axel Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time of the incident, was charged with the murders of the three children and in December, had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf regarding the charges.
Rudakubana, who is now 18, has today pleaded guilty to murdering the three young girls in what was described as a “meticulously planned rampage”.
As his trial was set to begin at Liverpool Crown Court, Rudakubana unexpectedly entered guilty pleas to all charges, including murder, attempted murder as well as terror-related offences (as per the BBC). Rudakubana, who was from Banks in west Lancashire, also admitted producing the toxin ricin and possessing an al-Qaeda training manual.
Prosecutors said Rudakubana had “shown no remorse” and before a jury could be sworn in today, Stan Reisz KC, defending, asked for the charges to be put to his client again before he pleaded guilty to the charges.
Mr Justice Goose told him that he would be sentenced on Thursday and said a life sentence was “inevitable”.
Floral tributes on the junction of Tithebarn Road and Hart Street in Southport. CREDIT: James Speakman/PA Images/Getty
The families of the victims were not in court today and the judge apologised to them, saying that they had “all assumed” the trial would begin in full tomorrow (January 21).
Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke about the plea saying it was welcome but that it was also a “moment of trauma for the nation”.
He added: “There are grave questions to answer as to how the state failed in its ultimate duty to protect these young girls. Britain will rightly demand answers, and we will leave no stone unturned in that pursuit.”
The BBC have previously reported that government sources told the outlet Rudakubana had been referred to the government’s counter-terrorism Prevent programme several times before the attack and that he had been visited previously by police.
Patrick Hurley, MP Southport said there was “surprise and shock” at the guilty pleas coming before the trial started.
He said: “We are all hoping the families get the outcome and justice they need…This isn’t a day for celebration – it is a day to make sure we remember the victims.”
Also speaking outside court was Ursula Doyle, deputy chief crown prosecutor for Mersey-Cheshire, who described the attack as “unspeakable” and said that it had “left an enduring mark on our community, and the nation, for its savagery and senselessness”.
She described it as “meticulously planned rampage” from a “young man with a sickening and sustained interest in death and violence”. She added that Rudakubana “showed no signs of remorse”.
CREDT: Taylor Swift/Instagram
Photos shared by one of the victims’ mothers on TikTok showed Swift had taken the time to meet her daughters backstage ahead of her show. The photos show Swift with the two girls – one of which appears to have a bandage around her left forearm – posing together as well as the singer’s mother Andrea joining in.
“You drew stars around my scars…The biggest thankyou to @Taylor Swift and her mum for making the most magical night possible for us all,” the caption read.
While there wasn’t confirmation of how many of the victims Swift met with last year, it was reported at the time that she had previously “reached out to families of Southport stabbing victims” before returning to perform at Wembley Stadium on August 15.
Swift also spoke out about the tragedy in a statement on July 30, writing: “The horror of yesterday’s attack in Southport is washing over me continuously, and I’m just completely in shock.
“The loss of life and innocence, and the horrendous trauma inflicted on everyone who was there, the families and first responders. These were just little kids at a dance class. I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families.”
While Swift didn’t acknowledge the incident on stage in London, according to Sky News, the musician “privately reached out the families” of those affected ahead of the shows.
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