Father of Southport killer asked social worker to hide information about son's violent behaviour
The Southport Inquiry, sitting at Liverpool Town Hall, heard how Rudakubana became of interest to authorities after entering his school while expelled and attacking a pupil with a hockey stick
The father of the Southport killer asked a social worker to not share information about his son's violent behaviour with staff of a youth offending team as it would "turn our family upside down", a public inquiry has heard.
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Axel Rudakubana, who murdered three children at a Taylor Swift themed dance workshop in July last year aged 17, had been on the radar of police and social services since 2019.
The Southport Inquiry, sitting at Liverpool Town Hall, heard how Rudakubana became of interest to authorities after entering his school while expelled and attacking a pupil with a hockey stick.
Read more: Southport killer's teacher 'dreaded' what he might do after he brought knife to school
He had been expelled from The Range High School, in Formby, Merseyside, after admitting to taking knives into lessons.
Three months later, the teenager was ordered to complete a 10-month referral order by Liverpool Youth Court, overseen by Lancashire Council's Youth Offending Team (YOT), after pleading guilty to assault.
But in the aftermath of his sentencing, father Alphonse Rudakubana sent a WhatsApp message in November 2020 to a member of the Child and Family Wellbeing Service in Lancashire, pleading for them not to share any information with the YOT.
Mr Rudakubana said: "Not to say that there is something sinister, but because it is not necessary."
He added: "Axel can trust you and say stuff as a child but we don't expect you to record or share some information with others that can turn our family upside down."
The taxi driver also questioned why the YOT, who he believed were "in charge of punishing Axel", was involved in the assessment report of his son, writing: "Please don't involve them any more."
Mr Rudakubana's messages were described as "surprising" by Sarah Callon, the senior manager for Lancashire Youth Justice Services.
Three months prior to the WhatsApp being sent, head social worker John Fitzpatrick, from the YOT, twice attended the Rudakubana family home in Banks, Lancashire, the inquiry was told.
Ms Callon told the court that the teenager refused to speak to Mr Fitzpatrick on the first occasion because he was angry that his father had cut the grass over the grave of his pet hamster.
He did not issue a warning about breaching the terms of the referral order due to Rudakubana's autism, the inquiry heard.
Nicholas Moss KC, lead counsel to the inquiry, said: "On reflection, there is a pattern here of treating AR very generously and being very light touch?"
Ms Callon said: "I think what we would have expected to see on the records is further contacts."
Rudakubana also refused to speak to the social worker on the second visit, after which Mr Fitzpatrick recorded: "Axel has autism and this seems to be how he deals with his emotions."
Ms Callon said the social workers were "not experts" in autism.
During a final referral order visit in January 2021, Rudakubana told Mr Fitzpatrick his father had hit him.
It was recorded that this happened after Rudakubana threatened to break his father's laptop and kicked him.
A "very remorseful" Mr Rudakubana was advised that social care did not support physical chastisement.
Mr Fitzpatrick received an email in February 2021 saying Rudakubana had been referred to the government's counter-extremism service Prevent to which he simply replied that Rudakubana had been closed to the YOT.
When asked about that response, Ms Callon said: "I would have expected more professional curiosity, requesting more information."
Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, were murdered by Rudakubana.
Eight other children and two adults were seriously wounded.
The inquiry continues.