Summary

  • The inquiry into the Southport dance class attack resumes

  • Staff from the school that referred killer Axel Rudakubana to the government's Prevent anti-extremism scheme three times are giving evidence

  • A range of concerns had been raised about him, including that he made antisemitic comments and referred to the 2017 London Bridge terror attack

  • The inquiry heard the killer had called Childline to say he was being bullied and had carried a knife into school 10 times

  • Childline then referred the matter to police

  • One of the killer's former head teachers told how she 'dreaded' what he might do

  • A PE teacher recalled how the perpetrator attacked a boy with a hockey stick and also took a knife into school

  • The inquiry's first phase is examining the perpetrator's history, his contact with relevant agencies and any missed opportunities to prevent the attack

  • Alice Aguiar, Bebe King and Elsie Dot Stancombe were killed and 10 others were injured in the attack on 29 July 2024

Live Reporting

Edited by Tom Mullen, with reporting from Lynette Horsburgh and Ewan Gawne

  1. Teenager 'made antisemitic comments' but teacher feared nothing would be done

    Lynette Horsburgh
    BBC News

    Ms Lewis was asked about antisemitic comments the killer had made, and also references to the 2017 London Bridge terror attack, but said these were not referred to Prevent.

    She said: "I didn't think they would do anything about it."

    She also said an incident when the teenager was found with a knife on a bus was not reported as it was not on school property.

    Ms Lewis was earlier asked about why a search for a "nunchaku", a traditional East Asian martial arts weapon, was not recognised in a safeguarding technology tool the school had used.

    She said it should have been, and should "possibly" have been mentioned in a Prevent referral too.

  2. Teacher 'shocked' over second Prevent referral

    Ewan Gawne

    The killer was referred to Prevent three times, but was not seen because there was no evidence of a fixed ideology or motivation, the inquiry has heard.

    Ms Lewis said a second referral was made after he "targeted" a pupil in another school and "a reference made to Colonel Gaddafi".

    Inquiry lawyer Richard Boyle asked if Ms Lewis had “any idea of Prevent not wanting to hear concerns, just facts?”.

    She said she did not know if concerns about the pupil would have been taken seriously, and said staff "can only refer on what we see, not what we fear”.

    Ms Lewis said she was “shocked” when, after he was referred to Prevent for a second time, the killer was not seen by what is know as a channel panel, a multi-agency support process to help stop people being drawn into terrorism.

    “I was shocked he didn’t get referred to a channel panel to try and nip some issues in the bud, as it possibly would have prevented a lot of what happened.”

  3. 'He refused to engage'

    Ewan Gawne

    The hearing has resumed following a short break.

    Ms Lewis is continuing her evidence, and has told how the teenager was not allowed to return to Acorns School after the hockey stick incident as it was felt “unsafe” to let him back without a full risk assessment.

    He was sent work to do at home after but this was “not particularly successful” she told the inquiry.

    “He refused to engage, I think there were a number of issues that we weren’t informed about, but I think he just refused to do the work,” she said.

  4. What is the Prevent programme?

    A police officer in a high vis jacket that says 'police' on it stands in front of a road. On the road there is a van which is being escorted by a police car.Getty Images

    We're hearing a lot about how the killer had been referred to Prevent, the government's anti-radicalisation scheme, three times between 2019 and 2021.

    His referral came from concerns about his online activity, which included research into school shootings and terror attacks.

    The Prevent programme is counter terrorism policing's service that works to "stop individuals becoming terrorists". Around 7,000 referrals are made each year to the police, who carry out initial assessments.

    Most people referred to the service are helped through mental health support, education, policing and local authorities.

    AR was not seen by the service despite the three referrals because there was no evidence of a fixed ideology or motivation.

    Security minister Dan Jarvis said the Prevent review didn't focus enough on "considering the perpetrator's susceptibility, grievances and complex needs."

  5. 'Shocking' statements by killer sparked concerns

    Lynette Horsburgh
    BBC News

    Ms Lewis said she suspected AR might be radicalised "by his own ideology", referring to "shocking" statements he had made and his internet searches, which featured material such as school shootings.

    She never taught him herself but said she went on to sit in some of his lessons as his behaviour became more and more concerning.

    Ms Lewis said she made a referral to Prevent, the government's anti-radicalisation scheme, following concerns about his behaviour on 5 December 2019.

    She said that was her first referral.

  6. Safeguarding lead 'feared pupil could become radicalised'

    Lynette Horsburgh
    BBC News

    Back to Janet Lewis now, from Acorns School.

    She said she spoke to the headteacher as she feared AR's behaviour there "escalated".

    She said she was concerned he was "vulnerable" and "could become radicalised".

    It followed instances including AR punching himself, internet searches for guns and becoming more socially isolated, she told the inquiry.

  7. Killer was 'calm' after hockey stick attack

    Andy Gill
    Reporter, BBC North West Tonight

    Mr Cregeen also said AR's reaction after being stopped in December 2019 was very different from when he’d been in trouble earlier in his school career. At the time of the hockey stick incident he was calm and showed no emotion, whereas before he would express frustration and an emotional response.

    Mr Cregeen said “This bothered me because it was in stark contrast to his demeanour earlier in the year”

    Earlier Mr Cregeen said that in the October 2019 incident AR said he’d brought in a knife to stab a boy he said was bullying him.

    He agreed with a lawyer for the inquiry who said AR’s reaction to the alleged bullying “seemed to be out of all proportion, bringing a knife in not to scare the boy but to stab him. It wasn’t just a case of carrying a knife for bravado or self defence, it was to stab the boy concerned.”

  8. Perpetrator 'said he intended to kill pupil'

    Andy Gill
    Reporter, BBC North West Tonight

    I've been here for the morning inquiry's morning session and thought it would be helpful at this stage to recap the main points so far.

    The inquiry has heard that AR said he intended to kill a pupil at his former school when he brought a hockey stick and a knife into the school.

    Rudakubana had been excluded from the Range High School in Formby in October 2019 for bringing a knife in. In December of that year, while still excluded, he went back to the school with a hockey stick and a knife and attacked a pupil with the stick.

    David Cregeen, who was Designated Safety Lead at the school at the time, told the inquiry that AR said he’d brought the stick in to kill another student and if that didn’t work he’d have used the knife. Mr Cregeen was asked by a lawyer for the inquiry “He [AR] was as blunt and direct as that ?” Mr Cregeen replied “ Yes, that’s correct.”

    The inquiry also heard that the boy AR assaulted in December 2019 was not the boy who allegedly bullied him in October 2019. The boys who was assaulted was a ”well liked, well behaved student who was just walking down the corridor.”

  9. Next witness set to speak

    Tom Mullen
    BBC News

    The inquiry will now hear from Janet Lewis, the designated safeguarding lead at Acorns School, which provides specialist education for those with extra needs.

    AR moved to the school after his exclusion from Range High.

    Mr Cregeen finished by saying he attended a strategy meeting two months after AR's exclusion.

    He told the inquiry this was set up for "fact finding" and to "provide background".

    When asked by Nicholas Moss KC counsel to the inquiry, he agreed he attended to reflect how serious the situation was.

  10. Perpetrator 'attacked boy with hockey stick'

    Lynette Horsburgh
    BBC News

    Mr Cregeen told the inquiry he was on duty on the day AR attacked a fellow pupil with a hockey stick, apparently for no reason.

    When asked if the boy he attacked had any issues with the attacker, he said "none whatsoever".

    Mr Cregeen also said the perpetrator was "matter of fact" when asked about having a knife in school.

    The only time he saw emotion in the pupil was when he displayed "frustration" about the situation with being bullied, he said.

  11. Killer told school he would use a knife to stab someone

    Lynette Horsburgh
    BBC News

    When asked about taking a knife into school, the perpetrator said he was being "pushed around" and that he would have used it to stab someone, the inquiry has heard.

  12. Attacker 'called Childline to say he was being bullied'

    Lynette Horsburgh
    BBC News

    The inquiry heard the killer had called Childline to say he was being bullied and had carried a knife into school 10 times.

    Childline then referred the matter to police.

  13. PE teacher continues to give evidence

    Lynette Horsburgh
    BBC News

    We're under way again for today's evidence.Nicholas Moss KC, counsel for the inquiry, is continuing to question David Cregeen, who was the designated safety lead at Range High School, whose evidence started yesterday.

    He was PE teacher and head of house at the school, where the killer was expelled from, but works elsewhere now.

  14. Recap: Killer's dad told school he was a 'good boy'

    Tributes left after the Southport attackPA Media

    Yesterday the inquiry heard how the killer's father begged his headteacher not to expel his son after he admitted carrying a knife to school and claimed he was a "good boy".

    Michael McGarry, the headteacher at Range High School in Formby, was giving evidence and the inquiry was shown an email from the killer's father, Alphonse, responding to his son's exclusion.

    Rudakubana was expelled from the school in October 2019 after calling Childline and admitting taking a knife to school.

    Mr Rudakubana said his son had carried the knife because of a "gang culture" at the school.

  15. Inquiry set to resume

    Southport inquiry chairmanPA Media

    The public inquiry into the Southport knife attack is due to resume shortly at Liverpool Town Hall.

    Today we're expecting evidence from staff at the school that referred killer Axel Rudakubana to the government's Prevent anti-extremism scheme three times.

    The inquiry is tasked with examining the background of the 18-year-old, who is serving a minimum sentence of 52 years for murdering three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on 29 July 2024.

    At the inquiry's request, we will avoid using his name throughout our coverage and if necessary will refer to him by his initials, AR.

    The inquiry will focus on his dealings with all of the relevant agencies, along with any missed opportunities to prevent what happened.