Southport Inquiry will be 'real engine for change' as it promises not to 'paper over cracks'
The probe into 'one of the most horrific crimes in the country's history' has been established to "thoroughly investigate" the circumstances around the deaths of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on 29 July 2024.
It will look at whether the attack, which killed Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, could or should have been prevented, given what was known about the perpetrator - who is not being named "for the benefit of the victims and their families".
Chairman Sir Adrian Fulford, a former vice-president of the Court of Appeal, began proceedings with an opening statement at a packed Liverpool Town Hall in front of families, lawyers and journalists.
"As the Government at the highest levels has recognised, the perpetrator is responsible for one of the most egregious crimes in our country's history," Sir Adrian said.
"However hard we try, ordinary language simply fails to reflect the enormity of what he did.
"None of the most powerful adjectives even begin to suffice: there are no words that adequately describe what occurred."
The perpetrator was given a life sentence in January, with a minimum term of 52 years for the three murders, one of the highest minimum terms on record when he was sentenced in January.
The 18-year-old also attempted to murder eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, as well as class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.
Ahead of the hearing lawyers for the families of Elsie, Alice and Bebe said they would do "all we can to assist the Chair... and uncover the truth".
'Ultimately as legal representatives of the bereaved families we are committed to getting answers for them," Rachael Wong, Director at Bond Turner, and the Recognised Legal Representative for the three bereaved families Chris Walker, also of Bond Turner, said.
"We know that nothing the Inquiry reveals, or subsequently recommends will change the unimaginable loss felt by the families of Elsie, Alice and Bebe, but we all now have a responsibility to ensure that something like this never happens again.
'We will be doing all we can to assist the Chair through the Inquiry and uncover the truth.
'It is only through intense public scrutiny that real change can be effected.'
The inquiry will be split into two phases, the first focusing on issues around policing, the criminal justice system and the multiple agencies involved with the 18-year-old before the attack.
The second phase will examine the wider issue of young people being drawn into extreme violence.
Speaking of the first phase Sir Adrian said: 'This will be necessarily wide ranging, encompassing the criminal justice system, relevant events during his education, his engagement with social and health care, his relationship with his family and much else besides.'
He added: "We need to understand what went wrong and thereafter to identify and implement the most effective measures to ensure, to the extent that we are able, that there is no repetition.
"As a society we are not helpless when confronted with individuals who are known to be contemplating acts of such depravity and although no solution will be foolproof, we can identify all of the robust steps which should be taken to protect ourselves, and particularly the most vulnerable, from horrors of this kind."
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced the public inquiry in January to help understand what went wrong and prevent any repetition of similar incidents.
Three separate referrals were made to the Government's counter-terror programme Prevent about the perpetrator's behaviour in the years before the attack, as well as six separate calls to police.
A review into the Prevent referrals published in February found there was sufficient risk posed by the killer to keep his cases within Prevent active but that these were closed prematurely while too much focus was placed on a lack of distinct ideology.
The inquiry will draw on evidence from interviews with witnesses and disclosure from 15 organisations, including MI5, Counter-Terrorism Policing, NHS England and Merseyside Police.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Pub chef who sexually assaulted and murdered artist as she walked dog gets six more years in jail
A pub chef who murdered an artist while she walked her dog will spend nearly six more years in prison after Court of Appeal judges increased his sentence. Harrison Lawrence Van-Pooss was jailed for life with a minimum term of 25-and-a-half years in February for killing Claire Knights, 54, in Kent almost two years ago. He ambushed her as she walked back from a beach near Minnis Bay, sexually assaulted and then murdered her before dumping her body. The 'highly sexualised' killer was seen on CCTV going to the gym and buying snacks just hours before the brutal murder. The 21-year-old then 'feigned' symptoms of psychosis following his arrest, the Court of Appeal was told on Friday. His sentence was referred by the Solicitor General for being unduly lenient, with Lord Justice Edis, Mr Justice Calver and Judge Angela Morris increasing Van-Pooss' minimum term to one of 31 years. Jonathan Polnay KC, for the SG, said the judge at Canterbury Crown Court did not give enough weight to how Ms Knights had been targeted as a lone woman, the extreme nature of the violence and that her body had been hidden for two days before it was discovered. He also said the judge gave too much credit for Van-Pooss's guilty plea and his sentence therefore 'required an uplift of substance'. Quoting Canterbury Crown Court judge Mr Justice Garnham, he said: 'This was a merciless beating causing catastrophic brain injuries and multiple facial fractures. There would have been a very significant period of mental and physical suffering. 'She must have been terrified as she considered the likelihood that you were going to kill her.' Mr Polnay added: 'That is an aggravating factor of some weight. That's not part and parcel of a murder.' He also referenced mitigating factors considered by the original judge. One of those was Van-Pooss' guilty plea, which he submitted in December 2024, over a year after Ms Knights' death in August 2023. This followed several reports to determine the 21-year-old's mental status due to his presenting psychotic symptoms. It was deemed he did not have psychosis, and it was suggested he had faked such symptoms. Mr Polnay said: 'It took some considerable time for the plea to be entered. Reports were necessary for this case. 'I entirely accept the offender does have a mental disorder, but he inevitably made the process longer and more complicated. 'He is someone who has malingered and continued to present false symptoms.' Stephen Moses KC, for Van-Pooss, said the targeting was 'a matter of moments rather than pre-meditated'. He added: 'Any findings of fact that there was malingering are explained by the personality disorder, but are not, in our case, perverting the course of justice. 'Matters were consistent with a personality disorder rather than simply framing mental illness.' He also put forward that a previous defence taken by Van Pooss - that Ms Knights made sexual advances towards him - was never advanced, so should not alter the level of credit given. Ultimately, the Court of Appeal judges decided a mistake had been made in the original sentencing. Van-Pooss also pleaded guilty to upskirting another woman at the pub where he worked the day before he killed Ms Knights. After she reported this, Van-Pooss was dismissed on August 22, 2023, and he left, carrying a backpack with a chef's knife inside. He then built a 'den' by the railway lines near Minnis Bay, Lord Justice Edis said in his judgment. Ms Knights was believed to have been walking a white and brown spaniel called Zebulon when she ran into Van-Pooss the following day. Van-Pooss acted in a 'simple' and 'calculated' way, the judge added, as he beat her and stomped on her head, causing fractures and brain damage. Ms Knights was found concealed in a dyke, having been pushed into the water while she was still alive. Van-Pooss was arrested for the upskirting offence on the evening of the killing, and was later charged with murder. Lord Justice Edis said the killing of a lone woman created 'widespread concern in the local community' and that Van-Pooss received an unduly lenient sentence. He added: 'The first thing we wish to say is that we commend the experienced judge for his approach to this case. 'The judge, in dealing with a horrifying and dreadful case of this kind, has to firmly try and succeed in maintaining an objective approach. 'The judge's job is to apply the law it the facts of the case and to be fair to the person who is to be sentenced. That is not easy in any case like this. 'We believe in making this decision, the judge did fall into error because the aggravating factors did outweigh the mitigating factors. 'That is enforced by what we have to say about the defendant's conduct in mimicking psychosis.' They said a starting term of 33 years should have been given, with only two years deducted for the late guilty plea. Ms Knight's son Elliot Knights-Sloane and her younger sister Annie Watson spoke to KentOnline outside court today. Mr Knights-Sloane said: 'There were things that we felt were glossed over and ignored that were hugely significant in the first hearing, and have now been brought up and actually addressed. 'The principle of that is what matters more than anything else.' His aunt added: 'The three judges recognised that the perpetrator had strung this all along and malingered all the way through and fed the police the story. 'There's a sense of relief now, because every time you come (to court), it just throws you straight back to the horror of it. 'This means now we can get on and we can remember Claire as she should be remembered, and that's what's important.' Mr Knights-Sloane continued: 'We want her death to mean something, and we want something positive to come out of her death. 'If we can do anything towards stopping violence against women, that would be a positive thing.' At Canterbury Crown Court, Ms Knights' friends and family heard harrowing details of how she was ambushed as she strolled with her Springer spaniel in Minnis Bay, Birchington, on August 23, 2023. Van-Pooss subjected her to a vicious sexual assault and beating before dumping her unconscious, but still alive, in a nearby water-filled dyke. Solicitor General Lucy Rigby said: 'Lawrence Van-Pooss's attack on Claire Knights was horrific. He assaulted and brutally murdered her, in a totally random attack. 'I welcome the court's decision to increase Van-Pooss's sentence and I would like to express my deepest sympathies to Claire's family and loved ones.'
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
Killer of Claire Knights has jail sentence increased
A pub chef who murdered a woman while she walked her dog will spend nearly six more years in prison after Court of Appeal judges increased his sentence. Harrison Lawrence Van-Pooss was jailed for life with a minimum term of 25-and-a-half years in February for killing Claire Knights, 54, in Kent almost two years ago. He ambushed her as she walked back from a beach near Minnis Bay, sexually assaulted and then murdered her before hiding her body in a dyke. The 21-year-old then 'feigned' symptoms of psychosis following his arrest, the Court of Appeal was told on Friday. His sentence was referred by the Solicitor General for being unduly lenient, with Lord Justice Edis, Mr Justice Calver and Judge Angela Morris increasing Van-Pooss' minimum term to one of 31 years Jonathan Polnay KC, for the SG, said the judge at Canterbury Crown Court did not give enough weight to how Ms Knights had been targeted as a lone woman, the extreme nature of the violence and that her body had been hidden for two days before it was discovered. He also said the judge gave too much credit for Van-Pooss's guilty plea and his sentence therefore 'required an uplift of substance'. Stephen Moses KC, for Van-Pooss, said the targeting was 'a matter of moments rather than pre-meditated'. Van-Pooss also pleaded guilty to upskirting another woman at the pub where he worked the day before he killed Ms Knights. After she reported this, Van-Pooss was dismissed on August 22 2023, and he left, carrying a backpack with a chef's knife inside. He then built a 'den' by the railway lines near Minnis Bay, Lord Justice Edis said in his judgment. Ms Knights was believed to have been walking a white and brown spaniel called Zebulon when she ran into Van-Pooss the following day. Van-Pooss acted in a 'simple' and 'calculated' way, the judge added, as he beat her and stomped on her head, causing fractures and brain damage. Ms Knights was found concealed in a dyke, having been pushed into the water while she was still alive. Van-Pooss was arrested for the upskirting offence on the evening of the killing, and was later charged with murder. Lord Justice Edis said the killing of a lone woman created 'widespread concern in the local community' and that Van-Pooss received an unduly lenient sentence. He said: 'We consider that the judge, in approaching this difficult task, did fall into error because even having regard to double counting, the aggravating factors did outweigh the mitigating factors.' Solicitor General Lucy Rigby said: 'Lawrence Van-Pooss's attack on Claire Knights was horrific. He assaulted and brutally murdered her, in a totally random attack. 'I welcome the court's decision to increase Van-Pooss's sentence and I would like to express my deepest sympathies to Claire's family and loved ones.'
Metro
4 days ago
- Metro
Ex-police officer beaten up by 'six guys on mopeds' over £2,000 bike
An ex-copper cycling with his son, 13, was injured after six men on mopeds attacked them in south London. Reports of violent bike-jackings have rocked well-heeled Dulwich as gangs target cyclists heading to the velodrome on their high-end bikes. Adrian Matthews, 45, was riding back from the arena with his 13-year-old son last Thursday, when six men on mopeds suddenly appeared near the South Circular junction. After trying to kick at Adrian but missing him, they turned to his son and 'kicked him in the right leg,' making him swerve on the curb. 'As soon as I saw them kick my son, I got really angry,' the dad of three told Metro. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video After shouting and blocking the attackers, he managed to grab a phone one of the men had dropped, leading to a fight as their focus turned on him. 'I threw his phone about 40ft down the street, and he punched me on the side of my face. His helmet visor was open, so I grabbed him by the helmet and dragged him towards the floor,' he said. 'He pushed me into the side posts with chains in between, and I tripped. As a result of tripping over, they instantly jumped on me, kicking me in the face, the back and stomping all over my body.' The four men then grabbed Adrian's £2,000 bike and fled. His main fear was his son, who had witnessed the vicious attack, which left Adrian with bruises, a black eye, a broken rib and scratches. 'He was just in a shock, because he has never seen anything like this happen before and it is completely against his nature,' the former Met Police officer said. 'I kept asking if I had been stabbed as it felt like something went inside. It was a mob.' After Adrian had been checked by the ambulance crew, police officers drove him around in the area, where they managed to find his bike pouch and mobile phone nearby. He called for more action to tackle bike jacking as attackers 'know they can get away with it' and 'there will be a point where they will kill someone.' 'There is no defence from them taking your bike. We are trying to get kids to enjoy cycling and kids to go out independently and to stay fit and healthy, and this has just smashed the level of confidence in my family as to whether we can take our kids out again. 'Luckily, it was my eldest one – if it had been my eight or ten-year-old, they probably would have been destroyed,' Adrian added. With the summer holidays starting and children cycling around, he worried about what could happen. Velo Club Londres, Adrian's local cycling group, told Metro the attack has 'deeply shaken' the community. Hanan Hauari, the club's chair, said: 'Sadly, this wasn't an isolated incident – we are hearing of more cyclists being targeted in South London, often while returning from training or commuting. These crimes are violent, coordinated, and clearly escalating.' Met Police confirmed it is investigating the robbery of a bike in College Road, Southwark, on Thursday evening. 'The man received minor injuries in the incident but did not require treatment. There have been no arrests at this stage and enquiries continue, the force said. A similar attack on Friday, June 27, left James Zuccollo with a broken hand when two young men on a moped chased and attacked him on his way back from work on Bowen Drive. He told Metro: 'I passed a couple of lads on a moped, who looked like late teens, but it is difficult to say because they were wearing balaclavas and helmets. 'They pulled in front of me and cut me off, and pushed me off my bike, causing me to crash, then wrestled the bike off me and put it over their shoulder and drove off.' The thieves got away with James' Canyon Ultimate road bike, which cost around £4,000-£5,000 ten years ago and was his 'favourite bike.' James, who is over 6'4 and not a 'tiny target,' said he felt 'just resignation' when he realised there was no help in sight. 'It is something of a shock when it happens, but you quickly realise there isn't much you can do,' he said. 'And the last thing would be some kind of a physical brawl when I was outnumbered, with two people who had clearly come with a plan in mind and prepared for violence.' The biggest cost of the incident is the 'sense of violation you feel having your stuff taken off you like that.' 'Even more than that, and I'm lucky enough to have insurance and I will be able to replace my bicycle, but a sense of fear one has about cycling around and exercising and being outdoors in your local area. 'Many of us feel unsafe, and I feel unsafe, riding now on my own. I'm very hesitant to do it. 'That sense of fear that keeps you off the road and out of the countryside is probably the biggest cost,' he added. More Trending Joe Booth, the general secretary of the Dulwich Paragon cycling club, told Metro that bike-jackers appear more brazen now with a 'sense of organisation behind it.' 'It is sickening and worrying. We have about 400 members, and a significant number are women. It's easy to say we're going out as a group, but if you can't even ride up College Road to meet people and ride confidently to the start of the ride, it will interfere with people's ability to ride.' There have been reports of at least one further attack and one attempt in the last two weeks on College Road by men on mopeds, and reports of two similar assaults of riders on Shirley Church Road in Croydon. In January, 'bike-jackets' targeted riders in Regent's Park armed with hammers. Patrick Conneely, 33, had his £4,200 road bike stolen when two hammer-wielding men forced him off his bike as he was doing laps on the park's Outer Circle. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Idaho killer locks gaze on victims' families as they face 'evil' in dock MORE: Five gang members face life sentences for double murder at rap video shoot MORE: Wheel World review – cycle of pain
