Axel Rudakubana pleads not guilty in Southport knife attack hearing

Pleas of not guilty have been entered on behalf of Axel Rudakubana following the deaths of three young girls in a knife attack in Southport earlier this year.

The pleas were submitted after he failed to reply when arraigned at Liverpool Crown Court.

The 18-year-old, who will face trial for three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder, was appearing via video link.

Rudakubana’s lawyers spoke on his behalf when he refused to state his pleas.

Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, died during a knife attack whilst attending a Taylor Swift dance class in Southport, Merseyside, on July 29.

Rudakubana was aged 17 at the time of the attack at the Hart Space venue.

The attempted murder charges relate to eight children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.

The teenager also failed to speak when charged with possession of a knife, production of a biological toxin, ricin, and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism.

Appearing via videolink from HMP Belmarsh, Rudakuban wore a grey sweatshirt and moved his head from side to side at times as the charges were read to him.

Rudakubana last appeared in court in November, when the case was adjourned.

He is due to face trial at the same court on January 20, with the case expected to last four weeks.

In October, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced that it was bringing two further charges against the suspect but confirmed it was not treating the stabbing as a terror attack.

The first additional charge, under the Biological Weapons Act 1974, states that he produced a biological toxin, namely ricin, on or before July 29.

The second, under Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000, alleges that he possessed a PDF file entitled “Military Studies In The Jihad Against The Tyrants: The Al-Qaeda Training Manual”.

The horrific event in Southport triggered a series of violent riots across Britain, leading to over 1,200 people being arrested and almost 800 charged.

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