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Sky News
10-07-2025
- Sky News
Officers who confronted Southport killer reveal how they disarmed him - as they are nominated for police bravery award
Why you can trust Sky News The officers who confronted the Southport killer have described, for the first time publicly, how they disarmed him - as they joined a list of 70 officers nominated for a police bravery award. Sergeant Greg Gillespie, 42, PC Luke Holden, 31, and PCSO Tim Parry, 32, were the first to arrive as Axel Rudakubana rampaged with a knife through a holiday dance school last summer. Speaking to Sky News about what they saw when arriving at the scene, Sgt Gillespie said: "There was maybe 20 or 25 adults and all of them were looking at me, all of them have this look of terror and fear, panic on their faces and I knew whatever it was we were turning up to was really, really bad." His colleagues drove fast from Southport police station and were thirty seconds or so behind Sgt Gillespie. PC Holden said he saw "a large puddle of blood on the floor outside the door" and said Sgt Gillespie "just looked at me" and asked if he was ready. "That was it, there was no conversation. There was nothing else going on. He said, 'Are you ready?' and I said, 'Yeah, let's go'." PCSO Parry, who doesn't carry a baton or pepper spray like his colleagues, went to the back of the building to stop people from entering, help anyone who needed it, and get information on the number of suspects inside. He said: "It was a horrific scene to really go into because I was so unprepared with the equipment I had." Sgt Gillespie and PC Holden identified the suspect at the top of the stairs, a bloodied knife in his hand, and walked towards him shoulder to shoulder. "I saw him, made eye contact with him, saw his facial expression, saw his body language and the way he moved himself into a position at the top of the stairs, showing us he had a knife," Sgt Gillespie said. "He was fronting us, like he was saying, 'I've got a knife, what are you going to do about it?' "And I think the second he realised he was looking at two people who weren't scared of him, who were going to attack him, all that bravery that he must have summoned up to attack defenceless children, he lost that straightaway, and he threw down the knife." In January, Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time of the attack, admitted the murders of seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, Bebe King, aged six and Alice da Silva Aguiar, who was nine, as well 10 charges of attempted murder, as well as possessing terrorist material and production of the biological toxin, ricin. He was jailed for life with a minimum of 52 years - with the sentencing judge saying it was "highly likely" he would never be released. Dozens nominated for bravery awards The Merseyside trio are among 70 officers from around England and Wales who have been nominated for tonight's Police Federation national bravery awards. They include two sergeants from Sussex who swam to the rescue of a vulnerable teenager struggling to stay afloat at night off Brighton beach. Police with torches had located her in the sea fifty metres from the shore, but a lifeline they threw to her didn't reach. Sergeant Craig Lees said: "We could see that she was starting to struggle with the cold and tide, and she began to dip under the water. We knew we needed to do something, and that was that we needed to get into the water and swim out to her." His colleague and friend Sergeant Matthew Seekings said: "I don't think it's in the blood of any police officer to watch somebody at risk or somebody needing help and not do something. "When you're in the sea, it's pitch black, you don't even know where the bottom is, it's terrifying, and I can only imagine how the female was feeling." Battling their own fatigue, the two officers managed to get the girl to shore, where colleagues and paramedics were waiting to take over. In Devizes, Wiltshire, PC Nicola Crabbe was called to a town centre fight between two men, one of whom had a knife. 'Just saturated in blood' "They were grappling, and they were just saturated in blood," said PC Crabbe, who confronted the man she thought was the knifeman. "I was in the middle of the road when I grabbed hold of him, and there was a member of the public just there, and that's when he explained to me that I had the wrong person." Armed only with a baton and Pava pepper spray, she grappled with the suspect, trying to find his knife. She said: "At one point he grabbed my hair and kind of dragged me around a bit, so I Pava'd him which just had no effect at all." PC Crabbe managed to restrain the knifeman until colleagues arrived and arrested him. The full list of award winners will be announced on Thursday night during a dinner at a West London hotel.
The Independent
09-07-2025
- The Independent
Southport killer's brother will not be able to see parts of inquiry
The brother of Southport killer Axel Rudakubana will not be able to watch impact evidence from families of his victims at the public inquiry into the attack. Dion Rudakubana, whose 18-year-old brother was sentenced to a minimum term of 52 years in January, has been recognised as a 'core participant' for the hearing, which opened on Tuesday. In a ruling, which was published on the inquiry website on July 2, chairman Sir Adrian Fulford said Dion Rudakubana and his legal team would not receive disclosure of material covering what happened from the moment Rudakubana got into a taxi and travelled to Hart Street to carry out the attack on July 29. He also ruled they would not be able to attend, either in the hearing room or over a video link, when impact evidence and commemorative portraits were given and would not receive advanced disclosure of them. Rudakubana murdered Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and attempted to murder eight other children and two adults when he launched his attack at the Taylor Swift-themed dance class. In his ruling, Sir Adrian said the inquiry would consider the extent to which the threat posed by Rudakubana was appreciated and appropriately handled by members of his immediate family, including his brother. He said: 'Their influence over him, or the lack of it, along with the steps they did or did not take will be the subject of examination during the hearings in September and October 2025.' The inquiry chairman said it was not 'credibly suggested' that Dion Rudakubana had any involvement in the attack. A number of parents of the child victims and at least one of the adult victims had expressed 'considerable concern' about the possibility of Rudakubana's brother being able to listen to impact evidence and being provided with disclosure of 'highly sensitive materials' relating to the narrative of the attack, Sir Adrian said. He said 'no adverse inference' should be made concerning Dion Rudakubana's motivation or intent, but the ruling was based on the impacts on victims and their families. The inquiry heard impact statements from four families on Wednesday and was adjourned until September.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Yahoo
Southport killer Axel Rudakubana receiving minimum legal entitlements while in prison
Southport killer Axel Rudakubana is currently receiving the legal minimum while serving 52 years at HMP Belmarsh, the ECHO has learned. The teenage killer horrifically killed three children in Southport on July 29 last year when he walked into a Taylor Swift-themed workshop shortly before midday. The then-17-year-old stabbed 11 children, killing three girls and injuring the rest, as well as attacking two adults in the rampage. Following his arrest at the scene, ricin was found in his bedroom at his family home in Banks, Lancashire, as well as a plethora of weapons and a second identical knife to that he used in the attack wrapped in his duvet. It further transpired how the murderer had previously been reported to Prevent on three occasions as well as being stopped by his own dad from getting in a taxi destined for Range High School just seven days prior to the attack on Hart Street, Southport. READ MORE: Mum in tears as 'TikTok addiction' means she's going to prison READ MORE: Dad took a knife to a 'straightener' in row over kids' football He was sentenced to life imprisonment in January this year, with him being kept in HMP Belmarsh, a high-security category A facility. But since being locked up, the killer has allegedly attacked a prison officer, hospitalising him and forcing him to take time off work. Rudakabana was in his prison cell at the time of the attack, and allegedly used boiling water from a kettle in the room, as reported by Sky News. He then allegedly threw the boiling water over the officer through a hatch in his cell door. The prison officer was taken to hospital as a precaution but only suffered minor injuries. Since then, Rudakubana has been given the legal minimum entitlements a prisoner can have, which restricts the amount of time he spends outside his cell and what he has access to. It is understood the legal minimum means he can still purchase items from the canteen using money either earnt at the prison or sent to him by family members but spends limited time outside of his cell and is brought items to where he is staying. National chair of the Prison Officers Association, Mark Fairhurst, told the ECHO: "It is normal for every prisoner to have access to prison canteen items that they may purchase from private cash or prison earnings. "Restricting this would probably lead to a legal challenge under the human rights act so the service would not be able to remove these privileges from prisoners." A Met Police spokesperson told the ECHO: "The Met is investigating after a prison officer was subject to a serious assault at HMP Belmarsh on the afternoon of Thursday, 8 May. "The prison officer was taken to hospital where he was assessed before being discharged later the same day. "The investigation is being led by officers from the Prison Investigation Team on the Met's South East Command Unit."
Daily Mail
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Channel 4 sparks fury after using Southport killer's mugshot in 'sick' advert as viewers beg 'please stop this!'
Channel 4 has sparked fury after using the Southport killer's mugshot in a controversial advert. Recently, an ad on Facebook for the broadcaster's new shows featured a photograph of Axel Rudakubana and said: 'More of the shows you love, more of the shows you will love. Stream now on Channel 4.' The killer was convicted for the murders of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancome, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, at a Taylor Swift dance class in Southport in July 2024, as well as the attempted murder of 10 others. He was sentenced to a minimum of 52 years in January. The advert contained a link to a news special about the case, titled Southport Killer Sentenced, according to The Sun. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Recently, an ad on Facebook for the broadcaster's new shows featured a photograph of Axel Rudakubana (pictured) and said: 'More of the shows you love ❤, more of the shows you will love. Stream now on Channel 4.' Patrick Hurley, who is a Labour MP for Southport, took to social media to express his outrage and posted on X: 'I'm really disappointed to see @Channel4 actively promote this image to Southport residents on Facebook, by buying ads targeting them. 'Please stop this, @Channel 4. 'And as for the text in the post - 'More of the shows you love, more of the shows you will love. Stream now on Channel 4' - is this some sort of sick joke?' The broadcaster has since apologised and removed the photograph from the advert. A Channel 4 spokesperson told The Sun: 'We apologise for any offence or upset this has caused.' Ofcom also confirmed to the publication that Mr Hurley had filed a complaint about the advert. The watchdog commented: 'Decisions on how news is covered, including the choice of images, is an editorial matter for broadcasters.' It comes after it was revealed Rudakubana is allegedly allowed to buy treats in prison such as Maltesers and crisps despite throwing scorching water over a prison guard last month. It is also claimed that he is allowed to call his family, have religious visits and receive money from relatives while in the south east London prison. Patrick Hurley, who is an MP for Southport, took to social media to express his outrage and posted on X A source told The Sun that Rudakubana has been 'spending £5.50 a week' since he attacked the guard and is allowed to buy 'anything he likes as long as it's not dangerous'. They added: 'He's still allowed to buy things like Maltesers and Pringles crisps if he fancies them.' Since Rudakubana attacked the guard he has been on a 'basic' level of treatment behind bars meaning he no longer has access to a TV and that his time out of his cell has been restricted. He is also said to be no longer permitted to purchase butter or baby oil which could be heated for an attack.
The Sun
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Channel 4 sparks fury after using evil Southport killer's mugshot to plug new shows that ‘you will love' in ad
CHANNEL 4 has been slammed after using the mugshot of Southport monster Axel Rudakubana to plug its shows. A Facebook ad featuring the triple killer's haunting face was captioned: "More of the shows you love, more of the shows you will love. Stream now on Channel 4." Last week blundering telly bosses were forced to apologise over the gaffe after sparking fury from the town's MP. Labour backbencher Patrick Hurley raged: "Is this some sort of joke?" He added: "I'm really disappointed to see Channel 4 actively promote this image to Southport residents on Facebook, by buying ads targeting them. "Please stop this." Rudakubana, who killed three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the town last July, had his custody photo splashed in a promo for the broadcaster's on-demand service. It meant the harrowing snap was pushed into Facebook users' feeds without warning. Grieving families scrolling Facebook could have been hit with the killer's image completely out of the blue - despite not following Channel 4. The show linked to the ad was a 20-minute news special named ' Southport Killer Sentenced ', broadcast after the killer was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court. Bosses admitted the snap was used by mistake and had been removed. A spokesperson said: "We apologise for any offence or upset this has caused." Telly watchdog Ofcom confirmed it had received a complaint from Mr Hurley. editorial matter for broadcasters." Rudakubana is serving 52 years for murdering Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine. The Sun this month revealed the fiend hurled scalding water over a prison officer while caged at max-security HMP Belmarsh. 4 4
