Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

• Warning: This post contains distressing details

The court is told Axel Rudakubana used his knife with a severe degree of force, and children were stabbed multiple times.

Elsie Dot Stancombe’s injuries were so severe that she could not have been saved, no matter how quickly paramedics arrived.

Bebe King was found on the landing, outside the studio door. Deanna Heer, prosecuting, says Bebe also had some "defensive" injuries.

In the opinion of the pathologist, Bebe’s injuries were untreatable however quickly emergency help arrived.

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

The court is now being shown a video of Heidi Liddle - an adult who was at the dance class - and the girl who was with her in a bathroom inside the dance studio as police rescue them.

Officers shout "police". One officer says "Jesus" as they enter the room where the stabbings took place.

Loud crying can be heard on the video.

Overall, 13 people were stabbed and three killed by Axel Rudakubana.

We are now being given details of the severe injuries people suffered. Several people have run out of the public gallery. The families of the children have asked us not to report the graphic nature of their injuries.

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Sobs can be heard in the courtroom as CCTV clips continue to be shown.

A further clip shows another child staggering in the street before she collapses - she is helped by a member of the public and survived the attack.

The court is also presented with CCTV and bodycam footage of the first police officer arriving on the scene. Shouts of "Taser! Taser!" can be heard on the video.

Body-worn video footage shows chaotic scenes as officers decide what to do. Blood can be seen on the stairwell as well as a child lying on the landing.

In the footage, the officers confront Rudakubana who is standing over Bebe King - he is then handcuffed.

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

We're continuing to hear the prosecution team lay out the facts of 29 July - the day Axel Rudakubana carried out the Southport stabbings, murdering three young girls.

The dashcam footage of the taxi that drove Axel Rudakubana to the dance studio shows him trying to get into the ground floor through a locked door. He then finds an adjacent, open doorway to the stairwell leading to the room where the children were, and walks up the stairs.

CCTV shows children fleeing from the building. Seconds later, very loud screams can be heard. Footage shows one girl leaving the building and being pulled back in by Rudakubana. She survived.

The court is again pausing so that people can leave amid a warning that we will see images of wounded children, including Alice da Silva Aguiar.

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Heer describes how police Sgt Gillespie found the body of Elsie Dot Stancombe.

"Soon afterwards, Heidi Liddle and [another person] were found hiding in the toilet. Crying with fear and relief, they were escorted from the building," Heer explains.

Heer pauses to give those who wish to do so the chance to leave the court, as evidence is about to be presented which she says may be distressing.

The court is first shown a CCTV screenshot of Rudakubana indicating what he was wearing that day - a green hoodie and facemask.

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

• Warning: This post contains distressing details

Marcin Tyjon and Joel Verite were driving along Hart Street when they saw a group of children running across the road and a woman, Leanne Lucas, covered in blood, Heer continues.

She was screaming that someone was stabbing the kids, the court hears, and Verite could see that she was injured and that there was a child lying on the ground further along the road.

He picked up Alice Da Silva Aguiar and took her out into the street. Marcin Tyjon then tried to help her, administering CPR on the instructions of a 999 operator. Verite returned and ran into the building and up the stairs, but retreated when he saw the defendant pacing on the landing, holding a large knife.

An officer arrived at 11.57 to find a large crowd of people in a state of panic.

Verite entered the premises, accompanied by another officer who had his taser drawn.

At the top of the stairs, they found the defendant, standing over the body of Bebe King who had visible and severe stab injuries. He was holding a large, bloodied, kitchen knife, which he dropped when told to do so.

Verite, who had followed the police into the building, picked up Bebe King and carried her out of the building, screaming as he did so.

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

The prosecution now shifts to tell the court about Jonathan Hayes, who worked in an office across the landing from the dance studio.

Heer says Hayes heard "screaming" and when he looked out of his window saw "some children running across the car park".

When a colleague shouted that a child was bleeding in the car park, Hayes went to try and help.

"As he walked onto the landing, however, he saw the body of a child, lying motionless on the floor. That is likely to have been Bebe King," Heer says. "Crouching over her was the defendant who then began to approach him, following him into his office as he retreated."

She goes on: "The defendant swiped at him with a knife, which he tried to grab."

Hayes was stabbed in the leg during the confrontation and subsequently fell to the ground.

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

• Warning: This post contains distressing details

The prosecution team is continuing to lay out the details of 29 July - the day of the Southport stabbings - and is now explaining what happened when Axel Rudakubana reached the dance studio where the murders took place.

Heer says the instructor recalls children running down the stairs and that she followed them into the car park, calling 999 as she did so. Once outside, she told them to "run away, run away".

One of the girls ran towards the toilet on the landing at the top of the stairs. Fellow teacher Heidi Liddle followed her inside, locked the door and braced her foot against it. She told the girl to remain very quiet, and not to make a sound.

When she heard voices outside the toilet door - crying for the defendant to stop - she realised that not all of the children had managed to escape.

A mother was waiting to collect her daughter. She was sitting in her car in the car park when she heard screaming and saw people running from the building. She managed to grab her daughter and get her into the car. Three other children also got into her vehicle - Alice Da Silva Aguiar collapsed by the side of the vehicle, badly injured.

At 11:46, CCTV footage shows a child trying to leave the building, only to be pulled back inside by the defendant. She is subsequently seen stumbling from the building and collapsing outside.

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

• Warning: This post contains distressing details

Heer, leading the prosecution, now tells the court about the moments after the defendant entered the dance studio.

"Without saying a word, he grabbed the child nearest to him from behind and put his arm around her," she tells the court.

"At first, Leanne Lucas [the instructor] thought he was there to collect her, but he then moved on to a second child and then a third, Alice Da Silva Aguiar."

Heer describes how the defendant moved "quickly" through the room and didn't say anything: "It was only when he reached her and she felt a knife go into her back that Leanne Lucas realised he was armed and stabbing them."

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Heer says that, at 11:04, Rudakubana used his Lenovo tablet to carry out a search on X for "mar mari emmanuel stabbing".

When the same search term was entered by a police officer during this investigation, he found that it led to posts containing footage of the stabbing of Bishop Emmanuel and five others during a sermon at a church in Sydney in April 2024.

The defendant then booked a taxi to collect him and take him to 34a Hart Street - the address of The Hart Space where the Taylor Swift event was in full flow. The booking was made in the name "Simon".

The taxi was fitted with a dash cam. The footage shows that the defendant remained silent during the journey.

But upon arrival at Hart Street, he asked the driver to direct him to 34a before leaving the vehicle without paying, prompting the driver to follow him, making repeated requests for payment, which were ignored.

Consequently, there is dash cam footage of his subsequent movements. Rudakubana initially walked towards Masters Vehicle Body Repairs, located next door to The Hart Space. Its owner, Colin Parry, was outside speaking to a customer, when he saw the defendant.

He told the defendant he needed to pay the taxi driver but the defendant responded, saying: "What are you going to do about it?" He then turned around and made his way next door.

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Deanna Heer KC - prosecuting - continues to open the facts of the case. She explains that on 7 July 2024, Leanne Lucas posted an advert for a Taylor Swift Yoga and Dance Workshop on Instagram.

"It announced that the event was intended for children in school years 2 to 6 (ages 6 to 11), and would take place at The Hart Space on 29 July 2024 between 10:00 and 12:00. It was a popular event. By 18 July, it had sold out," she tells the court.

Heer continues, saying Rudakubana lived at 10 Old School Close, Banks - about five miles away from The Hart Space - with his parents.

"At about 11:10 he left his address on foot," she goes on, explaining the events of 29 July - the day of the Southport killings.

"He had with him a kitchen knife with a 20cm-long blade, manufactured by Apollo Cerbera. It was one of two identical knives he had purchased from Amazon on 13 July 2024, taking steps to hide his identity when he did so by using a Virtual Private Network (VPN)," Heer tells the court.

"Evidence obtained from his laptop computer shows that, shortly before leaving, he deleted his internet browsing history."

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Reiz tells the court that his client, Rudakubana, is complaining of chest pains and wants to see a paramedic.

The judge says he is going to continue and there will be a break later.

“I can’t continue with this!” Rudakubana shouts.

Heer, on the prosecution team, tries to carry on speaking but he is shouting above her: "My chest is hurting!"

The judge replies: "Shouting from the dock is not going to make this happen any quicker. If you remain quiet you will be able to see someone."

“I’m not going to remain quiet I am in pain!" the 18-year-old shouts back.

Mr Justice Goose says back: "You’ve chosen this moment to say this. These proceedings are being conducted under my control Mr Rudakubana - do you understand? Not yours!"

As Rudakubana continues to yell, the judge asks security to use force. He is then taken out of the dock to a side room.

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Rudakubana now shouts in the courtroom: "I need a paramedic because I feel ill!"

Mr Justice Goose, the judge, says Rudakubana has been seen by medical practitioners this morning and is fit to attend - adding "I want this hearing to continue".

Stan Reiz KC, Rudakubana's lawyer, tells the court that those at prison were concerned about his wellbeing last night - and that the defendant hasn’t eaten or drunk for some time.

Reiz says he spoke to Rudakubana this morning and he said he was well enough - but he thinks he might have deteriorated and will take instructions. He goes to the dock to speak with the defendant.

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Deanna Heer KC, leading the prosecution, now says that having researched atrocities committed by others, the evidence suggests Axel Rudakubana set out to emulate them on 29 July - the day of the Southport killings.

There is no evidence that he ascribed to any particular political or religious ideology - he wasn’t fighting for a cause.

His only purpose was to kill and he targeted the youngest, most vulnerable in order to spread the greatest level of fear and outrage, which he succeeded in doing, Heer tells the court.

While under arrest at the police station after the incident, Rudakubana was heard to say: "It’s a good thing those children are dead… I’m so glad… so happy."

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

The prosecution tells the court:

"In summary, on 29 July 2024, the defendant carried out a pre-meditated, planned knife attack upon multiple victims, principally young girls, intending to kill them.

"Three children were killed, two of whom suffered particularly horrific injuries which are difficult to explain as anything other than sadistic in nature; and the defendant attempted to kill 10 others, inflicting a number of stab wounds upon them, including to their backs, as they tried to escape.

"When his home was searched following his arrest, a number of weapons were recovered including the biological toxin ricin which the defendant had produced in his bedroom."

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Deanna Heer KC, leading the prosecution team, is speaking now.

She starts by naming all of the people who Rudakubana has pleaded guilty to murdering and attempting to murder.

Heer says she will open with the facts of the case, and will then pause and allow people to leave the room if they want to, before CCTV and other evidence is shown.

We can report that Rudakubana was taken for medical treatment in the early hours of today but, as we've already mentioned, he's now in court to be sentenced.

• Update at 12:55: This post was updated to remove "hospital" as the location of the medical treatment

Daniel Sandford
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Axel Rudakubana is now in court and Mr Justice Goose is on the bench.

Rudakubana is in a grey sweatshirt and trousers and is wearing a surgical mask. He's sitting with his head bowed.

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

Both the main courtroom and the overflow annexe are completely silent as both rooms wait for the judge and the defendant to arrive.

The hearing is currently running 45 minutes behind schedule.

Security around the court has been exceptionally high. To get into the courtroom there has been a full screening at both the entrance to the court building, and then again at the door of the courtroom.

All of us - press and public - who are inside have been searched by court security staff and then again by police - including pat-down searches, electronic wands and bag searches.

We have not been allowed to take bottles of water inside, and members of the public have had to leave their electronic devices outside too.

There is also a visible police presence outside the court building, and inside the court, with officers in high-vis jackets sitting in the annexe.

Judith Moritz
Reporting from Liverpool Crown Court

The prosecution team, led by Deanna Heer KC, are present in court.

As is the defence team, led by Stan Reiz KC.

The judge presiding over this case is Mr Justice Goose.