Axel Rudakubana was referred to an anti-extremism programme three times before he carried out a “meticulously planned rampage” at a Southport dance class, it has emerged.
The Prime Minister said there were “grave questions” to answer after the 18-year-old, described by prosecutors as having “a sickening and sustained interest in death and violence”, pleaded guilty on the first day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday to 16 offences, including three counts of murder.
Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine; Bebe King, six; and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven; died following the attack at the Taylor Swift-themed class in The Hart Space on a small business park in the seaside town shortly before midday on July 29.
The defendant admitted their murders as well as the attempted murders of eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.
It has now emerged that he was referred to the government anti-extremism scheme Prevent three times before the murders, amid concerns over his fixation with violence.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “The news that the vile and sick Southport killer will be convicted is welcome.
“It is also a moment of trauma for the nation, and there are grave questions to answer as to how the state failed in its ultimate duty to protect these young girls.
“Britain will rightly demand answers, and we will leave no stone unturned in that pursuit.”
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called for a “complete account of who in Government knew what and when” about the case, while Reform UK leader Nigel Farage accused the Government of “the most astonishing cover-up”.
Terror watchdog Jonathan Hall told LBC that Prevent “needs to be expanded” or there should be a separate programme to catch “high-risk” people who are obsessed with violence.
Mr Justice Goose said Rudakubana, of Banks, Lancashire, will be sentenced on Thursday.
He is not expected to receive a whole life order because he was 17 at the time of the murders – the measures can normally only be imposed on criminals aged 21 or over, and are usually only considered for those aged 18 to 20 in exceptional circumstances.
Rudakubana, who was born in Cardiff, also admitted possessing a knife on the date of the attack, production of a biological toxin, ricin, on or before July 29 and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism.
The terrorism offence 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 August 29 2021 and July 30 2024.
The ricin, a deadly poison, and the document were found during searches of the home in Old School Close which he shared with his parents, who are originally from Rwanda.
Rudakubana’s unexpected change of pleas on Monday meant families of his victims were not in court to see them entered, having expected the trial to be opened on Tuesday.
The defendant, wearing a grey tracksuit and surgical mask, refused to stand or confirm his name but spoke for the first time in court when he replied “guilty” to each count on the indictment.
Unrest erupted across the country in the wake of the Southport attack, with mosques and hotels used for asylum seekers among the locations targeted.
In the hours after the stabbing, information spread online which claimed the suspect was an asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK on a small boat.
The day after the attack, thousands turned out for a peaceful vigil in Southport, but later a separate protest outside a mosque in the town became violent, with missiles thrown at police and vans set on fire.
More than 1,000 arrests linked to disorder across the country have since been made and hundreds charged and jailed.
The attack prompted members of the royal family to make contact with those who were affected, with the King suspending his traditional Balmoral break to visit some of the injured children and the Prince and Princess of Wales making a surprise visit to the town to meet the bereaved families.
Kate also invited the young survivors to her annual Christmas carol concert.
Speaking outside court after the hearing, deputy chief Crown prosecutor Ursula Doyle said: “This was an unspeakable attack – one which left an enduring mark on our community and the nation for its savagery and senselessness.
“At the start of the school holidays, a day which should have been one of carefree innocence, of children enjoying a dance workshop and making friendship bracelets, became a scene of the darkest horror as Axel Rudakubana carried out his meticulously planned rampage.
“It is clear that this was a young man with a sickening and sustained interest in death and violence. He has shown no sign of remorse.”
