PC feared Southport killer 'could be terrorist'

The attacker had researched US school shootings and taken a knife to school multiple times years before the Southport stabbings

A police officer feared the Southport killer could be a terrorist five years before he carried out his deadly attack, an inquiry heard.

Alex Rudakubana killed three young girls and attempted to murder 10 other people at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on 29 July last year.

The Southport Inquiry, at Liverpool Town Hall, was shown an email from December 2019 written by Lancashire Police PC Paul Harrison, in which he said "nobody told me I would be dealing with terrorists".

It came Rudakubana had been excluded from school and later returned to attack a pupil with a hockey stick.

After being excluded from Range High School in Formby, Merseyside, the teenager was found researching US school shootings during an IT lesson at Acorns School in Ormskirk.

In December 2019, days after being referred to the government's anti-radicalisation programme, Prevent, the hockey stick attack took place and he was found also to be in possession of a knife.

PC Harrison, who worked in the community safety team, wrote in an email that the boy's parents were "alarmingly playing the situation and his behaviour down" and ended with the line "nobody told me I would be dealing with terrorists" with a large number of exclamation marks.

John Goss, counsel for the inquiry, asked Andrew Bramhall, PC Harrison's sergeant at the time, if he believed the view the officer had taken a view "to the effect, 'I think he's a terrorist'".

Mr Bramhall replied: "That and the fact that Prevent were interested in him would have made me think that he had that kind of leaning."

Mr Goss said: "It may be that that number of exclamation marks indicates that this is slightly tongue-in-cheek, but certainly it is flagging a clear view that this is a case where potentially terrorism is an issue and Prevent are involved?"

Mr Bramhall replied: "Yeah."

Mr Goss asked who was responsible for assessing and addressing the risk Rudakubana posed to others and Mr Bramhall said it was Prevent.

'Behaved inappropriately'

Det Con Paula Murphy, of Merseyside Police, and who was involved in the investigation into his attack at Range High School, said nothing of relevance was found during searches of the teenager's devices after that incident.

The officer said that Rudakubana behaved inappropriately when she interviewed him and was laughing at some of her questions.

She added his mother did not challenge his behaviour.

Mr Goss asked her which agency was responsible for assessing and addressing the risk he posed to others.

Det Con Hughes said: "I think we all had a responsibility in addressing it, I don't think any one agency had the overall control of it."

The inquiry continues.