Southport killer obsessed with Manchester attack & took knife to school but cops said he ‘didn’t pose terror threat’
COUNTER-extremism cops THREE TIMES closed investigations on the Southport killer even though he was caught carrying knives and googling mass shootings.
A damning report today lays bare the horrific failings of the Prevent programme to stop Axel Rudakubana ahead of last summer’s attack – and he was obsessed with the Manchester Arena bombing.
A separate review of the entire scheme is being conducted to see how it can stop more atrocities.
Twisted Rudakubana was last month jailed for at least 52 years for the murders of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, to death on July 29.
He was fascinated by the bombing in 2016 which killed 22 people.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis said today that the killer was reported to Prevent three times but not referred for further monitoring.
He added too much emphasis was put on a lack of an ideology behind Rudakubana’s interests, which meant he was not put further through the Prevent programme.
Mr Jarvis said: “The review concluded that too much focus was placed on the absence of a distinct ideology, to the detriment of considering the perpetrator’s susceptibility, grievances and complex needs.
“There was an under-exploration of the significance of his repeat referrals, and the cumulative risk, including his history of violence.”
Mr Jarvis added: “The overall conclusion of the review is that he should have been case managed through the channel multi-agency process, rather than closed to Prevent. This would have enabled to co-ordinated multi-agency risk management and support.”
The Government has accepted all 14 recommendations for improvements in the Prevent learning review that focused on Southport killer Axel Rudakubana, Dan Jarvis said, as he identified Islamist extremism as the most dangerous terror threat to the UK.
The security minister said counter-terror police have visited all Prevent areas across the country to see if there are outstanding issues identified in the report.
He told MPs that the Government has begun an internal review of the Prevent thresholds, which will be completed in April.
Mr Jarvis said the review will: “Ensure Prevent can deal with the full range of threats we see today, from Islamist extremism, which is the most significant terrorist threat that the UK faces, through to the fascination with mass violence that we saw in the Southport case.”
He went on to tell MPs: “Perpetrator was referred to prevent three times between December 2019 when he was aged 13, and April 2021 when he was 14.
“Those referrals were made by his schools. The first referral reported concerns about them carrying a knife and searching for school shootings on the internet.
“The second referral was focused on his online activity relating to Libya and Gadaffi.
“His third referral was for searching for London bombings the IRA and the Israel-Palestine conflict.
“On each of these occasions, the decision at the time the perpetrator should not progress to the channel multi agency process.”
JAILED FOR LIFE
Last month Liverpool Crown Court heard details of the children’s injuries that were so horrific, their parents asked the media not to repeat them.
Rudakubana has now been jailed for life with a minimum of 52 years following the horrific triple murder.
Sentencing, Mr Justice Goose said would have killed all 26 children in the community space if he could have done.
He also said it was highly unlikely that Rudakubana will ever be released.
Timeline of events related to the Southport stabbings
AXEL Rudakubana has pleaded guilty to the murders of Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, and 10 counts of attempted murder.
Here is a timeline of events relating to the case:
2002: Rudakubana’s father Alphonse moves to the UK from Rwanda, according to an interview he gave to his local newspaper in Southport in 2015.
August 7, 2006: Rudakubana is born in Cardiff, Wales.
2013: The family – including Rudakubana’s father, mother and older brother – move from Wales to Banks in Lancashire, a few miles from Southport.
July 29, 2024: Shortly before midday, a knifeman enters a dance class at The Hart Space in Hart Street in Southport.
Bebe, Elsie and Alice are fatally wounded. Eight other children are injured, as are instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.
Police say they have detained a male and seized a knife.
Within hours, claims spread online that the suspect is an asylum seeker who arrived in the UK by boat in 2023.
Some claims include an alleged identity.
July 30, 2024: In the evening, a peaceful vigil is held outside Southport’s Atkinson arts venue, where flowers are laid in memory of those who died.
Shortly after the vigil, a separate protest begins outside the town’s mosque in St Luke’s Road.
People throw items towards the mosque, property is damaged and police vehicles are set on fire.
July 31, 2024: Demonstrators gather in Whitehall, London, for an “Enough Is Enough” protest.
Flares and cans are thrown at police and more than 100 people are arrested.
Disorder also breaks out in Hartlepool, County Durham, and Aldershot, Hampshire.
August 1, 2024: Police announce that Rudakubana has been charged with the murders of Bebe, Elsie Dot and Alice, 10 counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article.
He is not named by police because of his age.
He appears in court in Liverpool and Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Andrew Menary KC rules he can be named, as he is due to turn 18 in a week.
He initially smiled on entering the courtroom – then kept his face covered by his sweatshirt for the remainder of the proceedings before the case was adjourned.
Later that evening, demonstrators gather outside a hotel in Newton Heath, Manchester.
August 2, 2024: Three police officers are taken to hospital after disorder in Sunderland.
August 3, 2024: There are scenes of violence during planned protests across the UK, including in Liverpool, Hull, Nottingham and Belfast.
August 4, 2024: Disorder continues, including outside a Holiday Inn Express in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, where masked demonstrators launch lengths of wood and sprayed fire extinguishers at police officers.
August 5, 2024: The Government holds an emergency Cobra meeting in the wake of the disorder and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer vows to “ramp up criminal justice”.
That evening, a peaceful vigil is held in Southport, a week on from the killings. Police deal with disorder in Plymouth, Devon and Darlington, County Durham.
August 7, 2024: Prison sentences for those involved in the unrest begin to be handed out. Derek Drummond, 58, is the first person to be jailed for violent disorder at Liverpool Crown Court, where he is sentenced to three years.
More than 100 protests are planned for across the country, with counter-demonstrations taking place, but the majority of police forces report very little trouble.
October 29, 2024: Merseyside Police announces Rudakubana will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court via videolink the next day charged with production of a biological toxin, Ricin, and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism.
October 30, 2024: Rudakubana appears at Westminster Magistrates’ Court via videolink from HMP Belmarsh to face the two new charges.
He holds his sweater over the bottom half of his face and does not respond when asked to confirm his name.
November 13, 2024: Rudakubana appears at Liverpool Crown Court via videolink. He covers his face with his grey sweatshirt and does not speak throughout the hearing.
About 20 family members of victims sit in the public gallery. The case is adjourned until December 12, when a preparatory hearing will take place.
January 20, 2025: Rudakubana appears at Liverpool Crown Court for the first day of his trial where he pleads guilty to all 16 charges, including the murders of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven.