The teenager accused of murdering three young girls in a knife attack in the English town of Southport in July last year pleaded guilty to all charges on the first day of his trial on Monday.
Axel Rudakubana admitted killing Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and nine-year-old Alice Da Silva Aguiar, during a Taylor Swift-themed dance event in the seaside town in the North West of England, some 20 miles from Liverpool.
The incident horrified Britain and sparked outrage, protests and unrest across the country, leading to more than 1,500 arrests, and drew attention from far beyond the borders of the UK, in what Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned at the time as “far-right thuggery.”
The 18-year-old also pleaded guilty to the attempted murders of eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, class instructor Leanne Lucas, and businessman John Hayes, in the same incident.
Other offenses he admitted included possession of a knife on the day of the attack, production of a biological toxin—ricin—on or before Jul. 29 2024 and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism.
The terror charge relates to a PDF file entitled “Military Studies In The Jihad Against The Tyrants, The Al Qaeda Training Manual,” which he is said to have possessed between Aug. 29, 2021 and Jul. 30, 2024.
Ricin, a deadly poison, and the Al Qaeda document were found during searches of the home in Banks, Lancashire, that he shared with his parents.
His trial at Liverpool Crown Court was set to last between four and six weeks, and only hear the prosecution evidence and its witnesses, after Rudakubana’s lawyer Stan Reiz confirmed no positive case would be advanced on his behalf.
Rudakubana, who was born in Cardiff, Wales to Rwandan parents, had not spoken at any of his hearings, including after he was asked how he pleaded in December.
But during the hearing on Monday, Reiz told the judge: “I am instructed for the indictment to be put again.”
Rudakubana, wearing a gray tracksuit and a surgical face mask, remained seated in the dock as he entered guilty pleas to all charges
He failed to stand when asked to by the court clerk and judge after entering court and did not reply when he was asked to confirm his name.
As each of the 16 counts of the indictment were read to him, Rudakubana broke his silence by responding “Guilty” to each charge.
He will be sentenced on Thursday.
Speaking earlier on Monday, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said that the whole country will be thinking of the families of the children who were killed and the survivors during what she described as “a deeply traumatic and distressing time.”
Cooper added: “The most important thing for all of us is to ensure that the legal process can take its course, to respect the difficult job the court has to do, so there is a fair trial and justice can be done.
“There will be a time at the end of this trial to discuss what happened, and the action needed in response to this horrific tragedy. But for now, and until the proceedings have concluded, the priority for all of us must be to ensure justice is done.”
The UK Attorney General’s office warned the media and the public ahead of the trial not to publish or post anything on social media that might prejudice the trial, saying anyone who breached this could face prosecution.
“This includes anything that asserts or assumes, expressly or implicitly, the guilt of Axel Rudakubana. This is due to the risk of potentially jeopardizing the criminal trial.”
Reuters and PA Media contributed to this report.
