17-year-old boy charged with murders of three young girls in Southport named as Axel Rudakubana
The 17-year-old boy who is charged with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder after a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport can be named as Axel Rudakubana, the Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC has ruled.
The suspect could previously not be named due to his age, but would have lost anonymity when he turns 18 next week.
Three girls died after the 'major incident' on Monday (1 August), with five other children in hospital now in stable condition.
Two adults are also injured. Two children were discharged from Alder Hey Children's Hospital this morning.
Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, were fatally stabbed on Monday when a knifeman entered the dance class on Hart Street in Southport, Merseyside.
Eight other children suffered knife wounds – with five of them left in a critical condition – while two adults were also critically hurt.
Rudakubana was charged with the attempted murder of two adults, yoga class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes, as well as the attempted murder of the eight children who cannot be named for legal reasons.
He is also charged with possession of a bladed article, a curved kitchen knife, the court heard.
Turning 18 on Wednesday, he was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents and had been living the village of Banks, just outside of Southport, when the attack took place.
Rudakubana has been remanded into custody as Judge Menary told him: "You are remanded into youth accommodation detention until proceedings are completed. I am not granting you bail today."
The teen spent the entire 55 minutes of the hearing covering his whole face, with a grey sweatshirt pulled up to his hairline.
He is set to next appear at Liverpool Crown Court on 25 October. A provisional trial date, lasting six weeks, was scheduled for 20 January.
Riots erupted on Tuesday in the Merseyside town, including an attack on a mosque as false names and speculation circulate on social media.
The local community came together the next day to repair the damaged wall outside and to clean up the streets.
And in Whitehall, London, bottles and cans were thrown at police who were in riot gear on Wednesday.
A Met Police spokesperson said: “Over 100 people have been arrested for offences including violent disorder, assault on an emergency worker, and breach of protest conditions.
“Some officers suffered minor injuries.”
In Hartlepool, demonstrators set fire to a police car and pelted officers with missiles, including glass bottles. Cleveland Police have since made eight arrests.
Chief Superintendent David Sutherland said: “At this stage we believe the protest is in connection with the incident in Southport earlier this week.
“Our officers are facing missiles, glass bottles and eggs being thrown at them and have made arrests as they remain in the area to protect the safety of those living in the community.”
Jess Battison