Southport killer Axel Rudakubana is charged with multiple assaults on prison staff and having a weapon at HMP Belmarsh

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 05:57 EDT, 31 July 2026 | Updated: 06:38 EDT, 31 July 2026 Southport killer Axel Rudakubana has been charged with multiple assaults on prison officers at HMP Belmarsh.The 19-year-old was charged on Tuesday over the three separate alleged attacks in 2025, the Metropolitan Police said today.In May last year, it was alleged he used a kettle in his cell to heat water up and then poured boiling water over a prison officer.Other guards heard their colleague's screams and restrained Rudakubana following the attack, it is alleged. The officer was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure and was discharged later that day before returning to work.Rudakubana was jailed in January 2025 for a minimum of 52 years for the murders of Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, and the attempted murders of eight other children, class instructor Leanne Lucas and business leader John Hayes.This week marked two years since he carried out the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29, 2024. He had been locked up on the same secure unit at Belmarsh as Manchester Arena terrorist, Hashem Abedi, who allegedly assaulted prison guards in HMP Frankland in April 2025. Axel Rudakubana was charged on Tuesday over the three separate alleged attacks in 2025 In May last year, it was alleged he used a kettle in his cell to heat water up and then poured boiling water over a prison officer at HMP Belmarsh The Met said Rudakubana had been charged with assaulting an emergency worker on May 6, 2025, attempted grievous bodily harm on May 8, 2025, possession of an offensive weapon in prison on June 26, 2025, and assault on an emergency worker on October 28, 2025. The Prison Service said at the time of the incident on May 8: 'Police are investigating an attack on a prison officer at HMP Belmarsh.'Violence in prison will not be tolerated and we will always push for the strongest possible punishment for attacks on our hard-working staff.'Last week the Ministry of Justice confirmed Rudakubana had been transferred from prison to Broadmoor psychiatric hospital.Offenders who present an increased risk and cannot be managed safely in a prison environment because of mental disorders can be moved to secure psychiatric units.People in these units are treated as patients rather than prisoners.Broadmoor, in Berkshire, is the oldest of the UK's three high-security hospitals and has held some of the UK's most high-profile criminals, including Ronnie Kray and serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, also known as the Yorkshire Ripper. (L-R) Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, were all murdered in the atrocity on July 29, 2024Under the Mental Health Act, officials acting for the Justice Secretary have no choice but to accept the advice of clinical professionals to transfer prisoners to a secure facility.An offender in a secure hospital will be compelled to engage with treatment and to undertake therapies before any return to prison or release into the community.Where offenders no longer require treatment in hospital, the Act allows a swift return to prison.Rudakubana will appear before Westminster Magistrates' Court via videolink on September 11.