Southport ‘triple killer’ Axel Rudakubana in court on terror charges after ‘Al-Qaeda manual & ricin found at his home’
THE Southport “triple killer” refused to speak as he appeared in court on terror charges today after an Al-Qaeda manual and ricin were allegedly found at his home.
Axel Rudakubana is accused of knifing Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, to death at a Taylor Swift dance class.
The 18-year-old was yesterday charged with terror offences – although cops insisted they are still not treating the July 29 rampage as a terror attack.
He appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today via videolink from Belmarsh prison.
The teen, who held his jumper over his face, refused to confirm his name, date of birth and address and remained silent during the brief hearing.
Stan Reiz KC, defending, said: “Mr Rudakubana has remained silent at previous hearings as well.
“For reasons of his own he has chosen not to answer the question.”
He was remanded into custody to next appear at Liverpool Crown Court on November 13.
The chief magistrate, district judge Paul Goldspring, confirmed the charges were “related” to the Southport attack.
Rudakubana is accused of possession of information “likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, contrary to Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000″.
This relates to a PDF file entitled “Military Studies in the Jihad Against the Tyrants: The Al-Qaeda Training Manual”.
The teen also faces one charge of the “production of a biological toxin, namely ricin, contrary to Section 1 of the Biological Weapons Act 1974”.
Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy confirmed no trace of the deadly poison was detected at the dance club.
It was discovered following a search of Rudakubana’s home after the mass stabbing, it is said.
Explaining why the attack was not being treated as terror-related, Chief Constable Kennedy said: “For a matter to be declared as a terrorist incident, motivation would need to be established.”
Fury is now mounting over the development, with Tory hopeful Robert Jenrick questioning what Sir Keir Starmer knew.
Police and the Crown Prosecution Service are also under pressure to release a timeline of events.
Mr Jenrick said he was “seriously concerned” the facts had been deliberately withheld from the British public.
He added: “The Government and authorities told us for months they were not treating this as a terrorist incident.
“This atrocity was of immense public concern. The public had the right to know the truth right away.
“Any suggestion of a cover up will permanently damage trust in whether we are being told the truth about crime in our country.
“So Keir Starmer must urgently explain to the country what he knew about the Southport attack and when he learned it.
“Of course the legal process needs to be respected. But I’m seriously concerned the facts may have been withheld from the public.”
Rudakubana was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents and has an older brother.
He moved to Banks, a village in Lancashire located a few miles from Southport, in 2013.
The teen has been charged with three counts of murder and ten counts of attempted murder in relation to the attack.
He was also accused of possession of a bladed article – a curved kitchen knife allegedly used in the attack.
Rudakubana has been remanded into custody to also face court on November 13 for those charges.
The horror unfolded on July 29 as children enjoyed a Taylor Swift Yoga and Dance Workshop at a community centre.
Hero dance teacher Leanne Lucas is understood to have been knifed in the arms, neck and back as she used her body to shield young girls from the knifeman.
Her colleague Heidi Liddle escaped uninjured after bravely locking some of the children inside a toilet.
Another adult, Jonathan Hayes, was stabbed in the leg as he tried to fend off the attacker after running into the class when he heard screams.
The attack sparked riots across the country – despite the local community and families of the victims calling for calm.
It came after false claims were spread online that the alleged killer was an asylum seeker.