The teenager accused of murdering three girls in Southport has been charged with a terror offence after a police raid on his family home allegedly uncovered ricin and an Al-Qaeda training manual.
Axel Rudakubana was previously charged with three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article over the 29 July attack, which sparked widespread riots.
Merseyside Police have cautioned people against speculating over the Taylor Swift-themed dance class, in which Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, were killed.
According to police, for the attack to be classed as terrorism motivation would need to be established. No ricin was found to have been present at the scene of the stabbing.
The 18-year-old, who was living in the Lancashire village of Banks and was born in Cardiff, was charged on Tuesday with the additional offences of the 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.
Ricin is a plant toxin that is extracted from the beans of the castor oil plant. It is very toxic and even the smallest amounts can be deadly if inhaled, injected or ingested.
Searches were carried out at his home address in Banks after the attack, although it was not confirmed when the ricin was found.
To kill a 10-stone adult with a lethal injection of ricin, all that would be needed is the equivalent of a grain of salt of the poison.
Following the searches of Rudakubana’s home officers also said they found a PDF file titled ‘Military Studies In The Jihad Against The Tyrants, The Al Qaeda Training Manual’.
He is accused of possessing it between 29 August 2021 and 30 July 2024. He has been charged under section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
Rudakubana is also charged with the attempted murder of eight other children, instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.
Born to Rwandan parents, the Liverpool Echo reported neighbours as saying that the family are “heavily involved with the local church”, and that they would often hear singing from their house.
The family reportedly moved to the Southport area around 2013 and lived in a semi-detached property in a quiet cul-de-sac. “There were no problems while they were living here,” one neighbour who described Rudakubana’s parents as “friendly” told the Daily Telegraph.
The Times also reported Rudakubana has a background in musical theatre, with a friend from his musical theatre group saying he “turned up one day in class, and they said ‘make him welcome, because he’s just moved from quite far away’”.
“I think it was more him trying to branch out and meet kids in the community … he was enjoying it but you know, with musical theatre kids … they’re very extroverted, he wasn’t, he was very quiet,” the friend said. “He didn’t really talk about himself that much.”
Rudakubana’s father is originally from Rwanda, a country that suffered a deadly genocide in the early 1990s, and moved to the UK in 2002, he told his local newspaper in Southport in 2015.
The family lived in a mid-terrace three-bedroom house in a newly built cul-de-sac of a dozen or so properties.
A local source said the alleged killer did not mix with others, the family was unremarkable and there had been no sign of anything wrong.
“Nobody knows them. It’s only the father who went to work who I’ve ever seen,” a near neighbour said.
She added: “You can’t believe anything would happen like this in this sort of place.”
In 2018, Rudakubana appeared in a Doctor Who-themed advert for BBC Children In Need.
The now-deleted clip shows him leaving the Tardis wearing a trench coat and tie to look like the show’s former star David Tennant.
The then 11-year-old tells viewers “it’s that time of year again”, before offering advice on how best to raise money.
It is understood he was recruited for the video through a casting agency and had nothing to do with any Children In Need projects.
Appearing in court in August after he was first charged, Rudakubana initially smiled on entering the courtroom – then kept his face covered by his sweatshirt for the remainder of the proceedings.
Yvette Cooper warned against speculation on the Southport attacks after additional charges were brought against the suspect in the case.
The home secretary said: “These additional charges will undoubtedly be distressing for people in Southport.
“The most important thing is to get justice for Bebe, Alice and Elsie and their heartbroken families, and all those affected by the attack and nobody should put that at risk.
“The police and prosecutors have an important job to do in their investigation, pursuing every avenue and taking the action they need to ahead of the trial.
“We must support them and ensure that everything possible is done to deliver justice.”
Rudakubana, 18, will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court by video link on Wednesday over the new charges.
A provisional trial date has been set for January next year.
