Axel Rudakubana 'referred to counter-terrorism police three times'

Axel Rudakubana was referred to counter-terrorism police several times, the ECHO can reveal. The 18-year-old appeared in Liverpool Crown Court for the opening day of his murder trial where he pleaded guilty to all charges relating to the mass-stabbing in Southport last year.

The teenager, then 17, walked into The Hart Space on July 29 last year shortly before midday and murdered Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, as well as attempting to murder eight other children and two adults - Leanne Lucas and John Hayes. He was arrested at the scene and armed police descended on his home on Old School Close in Banks an hour and a half later.

In an official document seen by the ECHO, it is stated Rudakubana was referred to Prevent four times ahead of the day of the attack, with one coming after he was found to have researched terror attacks, namely the London Bridge attack in 2017, at a specialist high school in 2021. Prevent is a multi-agency taskforce spearheaded by Counter Terrorism Policing which works to prevent vulnerable people being drawn into criminal behaviour. However the ECHO understands three referrals were actually received by Prevent.

READ MORE: Date Axel Rudakubana will be sentenced after admitting Southport murders

READ MORE: Axel Rudakubana admits Southport stabbing murders

This incident came after he was permanently excluded from Formby's Range High School in October 2019 after being found with a knife in school. Two months later the teen returned to the school with a knife and hockey stick before attacking a pupil, the ECHO can confirm.

Rudakubana pleaded guilty to three counts of murder, ten counts of attempted murder, possession of a bladed article in a public place, namely a kitchen knife with a curved blade, 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".

He will be sentenced in Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday, January 20. Speaking at Liverpool Crown Court, Justice Goose said: “Axel Rudakubana you can hear me I know. You have now pleaded guilty to this indictment to each of the charges upon it. The next stage is for sentence.

"That will take place on Thursday. In the meantime you must keep in touch with your barristers, solicitors and the intermediary in order for you to receive any advice or assistance.

“You will understand it's inevitable that a life sentence will be imposed upon you. In the meantime, you go with the officers and be produced at that hearing at 11 o'clock on Thursday. Take him down.”