Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Deanna Heer has finished outlining the facts and is beginning to introduce the victims' personal statements.

First is a statement being read by the father of one of the surviving children - he says he asked his nine-year-old daughter to explain the impact the events had on her.

The girl says: "It has been very hard to deal with what happened to me at Hart Space. I struggle with my emotions, and I have scars that I know will be with me forever, but I want to look forward.

"When people in school asked me 'do you wish you weren’t there that day' I said that, in some ways, I wish I wasn’t, but also, if I wasn’t there, someone else would have been stabbed and they could have died, so I’m glad I might have stopped someone else getting hurt."

Her father continues, saying that "her words both horrify us and make us immeasurably proud. Our daughter is strong. Our daughter is positive. Our daughter is brave.

"Our daughter is everything that Axel Rudakubana is not. She is our hero."

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

The court turns now to the week before the attack on 29 July last year.

Heer, for the prosecution, describes how a few days after Axel Rudakubana purchased knives on 22 July 2024, he booked a taxi in the name "Simon" to take him to The Range High School.

On this occasion, Heer continues, it seems that he was spotted by his father. As the car was about to set off, the defendant’s father ran out of the house and pleaded with the driver not to take him.

The defendant got out of the car after an argument.

Heer says: "It is unlikely to be a coincidence - the prosecution say - that this was the last day of term, with students due to leave the school premises at 12:30 for the summer. The court may infer that this was an earlier attempt to commit offences similar to those he was to carry out at The Hart Space a week later."

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Heer, for the prosecution, says Rudakubana was referred three times to Prevent (the anti-extremism programme) from 2019-2021.

The first, in November 2019, was for researching school shootings during an Information Technology class.

The next two referrals, in 2021, were after he uploaded to Instagram two images of Colonel Gadaffi, and had been found researching the London Bridge terror attack.

Following reports of incidents at home, Rudakubana stopped attending school in May 2021. Later, in March 2022, a place was found for him at Presfield High School, but he did not attend.

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

We're now hearing about Axel Rudakubana's time in school.

He was enrolled at The Acorns School, a pupil referral unit, in Ormskirk on 17 October 2019.

During his admission meeting he was asked why he had taken a knife to his previous school, and he replied: "To use it."

On 11 December that same year, the defendant booked a taxi to take him to Range High School, he was carrying a hockey stick and attacked another pupil. When the police arrived, a knife was found in his backpack.

He was subsequently charged with, and pleaded guilty to, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, possession of an offensive weapon and possession of a bladed article. A referral order was imposed.

The Acorns School refused to have the defendant present on the premises and, instead, Rudakubana was sent work for him to complete at home, which he failed to do. In July 2020, he returned to school under a two to one supervision. Then in February 2021, he was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Deanna Heer continues to say that this evidence demonstrates that the stabbings on that day were premeditated and had been planned by the defendant for some time.

Heer outlines that when asked about the ricin and Al-Qaeda manual in interview Rudakubana remained silent.

The court next hears detail about Rudakubana's childhood and background - including that he was born in Cardiff and moved to Southport with his family in 2013.

In 2017 he became a pupil at The Range High School, Formby.

On 4 October 2019 he contacted Childline and asked: "What should I do if I want to kill somebody?"

In the days that followed he explained that he hated someone at school who bullied him. He felt angry and wanted to kill them, Heer continues to tell the court.

A referral was made to the police, who visited the defendant. He confirmed that he had taken a knife to school and added that he thought he would use it if he became angry.

The school was also informed. By this time, the defendant had been temporarily excluded - this was made a permanent exclusion when he admitted taking a knife to school on about 10 previous occasions.

Referrals were made to the Multi-Agency Safeguard Hub (MASH) and the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Heer says that there were numerous images on Rudakubana's tablet devices relating to different wars and international conflicts, including in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Korea, Iraq and the Balkans.

This was in addition to violent images, including those of dead bodies, victims of torture, beheadings, cartoons depicting killing, violence and rape, or which insulted or mocked different religions - including Islam, Judaism and Christianity

"It was a very broad spread of material which provides a window into the defendant’s mind at the time," Heer says.

"It shows that he was fascinated with violence of an extreme nature, that he had obtained information on killings and how to kill and obtained weapons capable of killing."

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Heer now says that on Rudakubana's tablet devices, the police found multiple images of knives and machetes which he’d searched for on various online retailers.

He had sent emails to various retailers making enquiries about buying knives, she continues.

Some of the emails asked whether deliveries could be made in plain packaging and revealed that Rudakubana had also tried to purchase a knife with a 20cm blade on 21 June 2024 - but the order was cancelled when he failed to pay.

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Heer, for the prosecution, continues to describe documents that the police found Rudakubana had downloaded - including one called Military Studies In The Jihad Against The Tyrants, The Al Qaeda Training Manual, which contained advice and instructions on committing acts of terror.

The prosecution outlines that the manual had been downloaded on three occasions in 2021.

By the time Rudakubana went to The Hart Space studio last July, he was in possession of instructions in the manual on carrying out a knife attack with lethal force, Heer says.

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Heer says that although the evidence is clear ricin was produced by Rudakubana in his bedroom, there's no evidence that ricin was used either during the attack at The Hart Space studio or at any other time.

She goes on to say a machete in a scabbard, a set of arrows and a black holdall were also found in Rudakubana's bedroom when police searched his home.

A kitchen knife identical to the one used in the stabbing was also found in the living room, where it appeared Rudakubana had been sleeping, Heer tells the court.

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Rudakubana has just started shouting again.

"I need to be seen by a paramedic - I feel ill," he shouts to the court.

The judge has him removed again, saying the court is aware Rudakubana has been seen by two teams of paramedics who deem that he is fit to attend.

Deanna Heer KC, for the prosecution, continues with her remarks.

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Heer now tells the court about the discovery of ricin at Axel Rudakubana's home, following his arrest last July.

She says ricin is a naturally occurring toxin found in the seeds (or beans) of the castor oil plant.

It is toxic by ingestion, injection and inhalation, she says, adding that the symptoms vary according to the means of exposure - but will potentially result in death as a result of multi-organ failure and/or acute respiratory distress.

Heer adds that there is no antidote for ricin poisoning and only a very small amount of it may be deadly.

• For context: As well as pleading guilty to three counts of murder, 10 of attempted murder and possession of a knife, Axel Rudakubana also pleaded guilty to two terror-related offences: producing ricin and owning an al-Qaeda training manual. There's more on that in our earlier post.

We're hearing more now from Deanna Heer KC, leading the prosecution against Axel Rudakubana.

She tells the court about remarks the defendant made to police after being brought into custody, following the attack last year.

We previously heard he had said: "It’s a good thing those children are dead… I’m so glad… so happy."

Now we are hearing that Rudakubana also said: "I don’t care, I’m feeling neutral.

"Literally, such a good thing those kids are dead, 6 years old… So happy, 6 years old. It’s a good thing they are dead, yeah."

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Axel Rudakubana has re-entered the dock in court.

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Mr Justice Goose, the judge in this case, has re-entered court.

He says Axel Rudakubana has been seen again and is fit to come into court, and at the moment he has indicated that he is willing to come in without disrupting proceedings.

The judge adds that if Rudakubana does disrupt things, he’ll be removed again - but that he is expected to be in the dock at the point of sentence.

While we wait for court to resume, it's worth remembering that as well as pleading guilty to three counts of murder and 10 of attempted murder, Axel Rudakubana has also pleaded guilty to two terror-related offences.

On Monday, he admitted to producing a biological toxin, ricin, on or before 29 July. Ricin is a highly toxic poison naturally derived from castor oil plants.

He also pleaded guilty to possession of terrorist material - namely a PDF file entitled Military Studies In The Jihad Against The Tyrants, The Al Qaeda Training Manual - which he had between 29 August 2021 and 30 July 2024.

Both the ricin and the study of the training manual were found as part of searches of Rudakubana's house in the Lancashire village of Banks after the stabbings. No trace of the substance was found at the scene of the stabbings in Southport and police said the poison they did discover presented a low risk to the public.

These details, and charges, have so far not been mentioned in today's sentencing hearing.

Over the last hour, Liverpool Crown Court has been hearing details of the attack in Southport on 29 July, in which Axel Rudakubana killed three children and left others severely injured.

Here's a quick summary of what we learnt:

• The attack last year was pre-meditated and planned with multiple victims, the prosecution said. Three children were killed and 10 other people were left with a number of stab wounds
• While under arrest, Axel Rudakubana told police he was "glad" children had died - describing it as "a good thing"
• The prosecution explained that dance instructor Leanne Lucas did not initially realise Rudakubana was armed; the court heard how he moved "quickly" through the room without saying anything
• CCTV footage showed one child trying to leave the building and being pulled back inside by the defendant - the court also saw body-worn footage from officers at the scene
• Injuries of Elsie Dot Stancombe and Bebe King - two of the three girls killed - were too severe to be treatable, regardless of how quickly help arrived
• The courtroom was briefly interrupted at the start of the hearing when Rudakubana shouted that he was ill - judge Mr Justice Goose said the defendant was fit to attend. Minutes before the hearing begun, we learnt that Rudakubana had been taken for medical treatment in the early hours of the morning

Image source, Elizabeth Cook / PA

The court is now taking a break for lunch and will resume at 14:00.

We'll bring you a round-up of what we've heard so far today shortly.

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

• Warning: This post contains distressing details

Before taking a break, the court hears how dance instructor Leanne Lucas was stabbed five times.

She was taken to hospital in a life threatening condition, but survived.

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

The court is now hearing about injuries to the children who survived the attack - these children cannot be identified due to a court order.

They are all girls, some as young as seven, some of who were in life-threatening conditions after the attack but survived.

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

• Warning: This post contains distressing details

We now hear about Alice Da Silva Aguiar, aged nine, who died from her injuries the morning after the attack.

Alice managed to get out of the building alive. She was assessed by a paramedic outside the scene.

She was taken to hospital. Despite emergency surgery, her injuries were too serious to survive and she was pronounced dead at 01:20 the following morning.