On January 20, 2023, Southport stabbing suspect Axel Rudakubana, 18, pleaded guilty to the murder of three young girls.

The tragic events unfolded on July 29, 2022, during a Taylor Swift themed dance class, where six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar lost their lives.

As the trial was about to commence at Liverpool Crown Court, Rudakubana admitted to the three murders.

In addition, he pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of eight other children, as well as Leanne Lucas and Jonathan Hayes.

Rudakubana also acknowledged possessing a kitchen knife in a public space, producing a biological toxin, ricin, and holding a document potentially useful to those committing or preparing acts of terrorism, specifically a PDF titled "Military Studies in the Jihad against Tyrants: The Al-Qaeda Training Manual."

Upon his arrival in the dock, Rudakubana was dressed in a grey prison tracksuit and wore a blue medical face mask. He initially refused to stand or state his name.

His counsel, Stanley Reiz KC, requested that the indictment be read once more, following which Rudakubana remained seated as he entered guilty pleas for all charges.

His sentencing is scheduled for Thursday of this week.

Chief Constable Serena Kennedy of Merseyside Police informed a press conference that additional charges arose from evidence gathered during searches of Rudakubana's home on Old School Close after the incident. However, it has been clarified by Counter Terrorism Policing that this mass stabbing is not regarded as a terrorist incident.

Chief Constable Kennedy stated, "The matter of which Axel Rudakubana has been charged under the Terrorism Act does not require motive to be established. For a matter to be declared a terrorist incident, motivation would need to be established."