Axel Rudakubana, 18, has admitted to the murders of three young girls and the attempted murder of 10 others during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport last summer.
In a dramatic turn of events, Rudakubana changed his plea to guilty just as his trial at Liverpool Crown Court was set to begin.
He pleaded guilty to the murders of Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, Bebe King, 6, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, as well as the attempted murder of eight other children, whose identities are protected, along with class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.
The attack occurred on July 29, 2024, when Rudakubana stormed The Hart Space dance studio armed with a knife.
In addition to the murder charges, he also admitted to possessing a knife on the day of the attack, producing the biological toxin ricin, and possessing an Al Qaeda training manual titled Military Studies in the Jihad Against the Tyrants. The manual, considered a terrorism-related offense, was in his possession between August 2021 and July 2023.
Rudakubana, the UK-born son of a Rwandan refugee, refused to stand in the dock during the hearing. His sudden guilty plea meant the families of the victims were not present in court to witness his admission.
Originally scheduled as a four-to-six-week trial, today’s proceedings lasted just 15 minutes. Rudakubana is set to be sentenced on Thursday, January 23.
