Killer Boy Nammed

Killer Boy Nammed

 

A 17-year-old charged with murdering three girls who were stabbed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport has been named.

 

Axel Muganwa Rudakubana is also charged with 10 counts of attempted murder after eight other children and two adults were seriously injured in the attack on Monday.

The suspect, who is from the Lancashire village of Banks, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court, and also faces a charge of possessing a curved kitchen knife.

He was remanded into youth detention accommodation.

The Cardiff-born teenager could not previously be named due to his age but Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC ruled it could be made public following applications from the media.

The defendant is due to turn 18 next week.

The judge said he was mindful of “misinformation” that had spread regarding the accused’s identity.

Southport saw a night of unrest on Tuesday following a vigil in memory of the victims, with protesters gathering near a mosque in the Merseyside town.

Five men were arrested – with one later charged with possessing a knife – after a police van was set alight and bricks were thrown, with 53 police officers injured.

A further Section 60 order, which gives police enhanced powers to stop and search and is designed to minimise violence, was put in place on Thursday evening.

This follows the original Section 60 order brought in for 24 hours from 17:00 BST on Wednesday evening.

The latest order came into effect at 18:00 BST and will also last for 24 hours, with extra officers in the area, Merseyside Police said.

Judge Menary said: “Continuing to prevent full reporting at this stage has a disadvantage of allowing others up to mischief to continue to spread misinformation in a vacuum.”

 

 

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