Southport killer charged with prison attacks and possessing weapon

Southport killer Axel Rudakubana has been charged with three attacks while in prison and possessing a weapon.Police say the offences took place at HMP Belmarsh over six months from May to October 2025.The 19-year-old murdered Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, and injured eight other children and two adults in an attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July 2024.He was given a 52-year sentence in January 2025. Earlier this month he was moved to a secure psychiatric hospital.Rudakubana is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court remotely on 11 September.He has been charged with the following four offences:Assault on an emergency worker on 6 May 2025Attempted grievous bodily harm on 8 May 2025Unauthorised possession of an offensive weapon in prison on 26 June 2025Assault on an emergency worker on 28 October 2025When he was jailed, Rudakubana was given a 52-year prison sentence. The judge was unable to impose a whole life order due to him being under-18 when he carried out the attack. He will likely never be released.On 23 July, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) confirmed Rudakubana was transferred from HMP Belmarsh to Broadmoor, a high-security psychiatric hospital in Berkshire.Under the Mental Health Act, the MoJ is likely to have had no choice but to accept doctors' recommendations about whether Rudakubana could be held safely in prison.The decision to transfer him was criticised by a lawyer representing the families of victims.