Three Merseyside police officers commended for bravery for response to Southport attack
8 May 2025, 20:31
Three Merseyside Police officers have been commended for their bravery for their role in the emergency response to the gruesome Southport stabbing attack.
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The officers were the first on the scene, and confronted and detained Axel Rudakubana.
The attack at a children’s Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, Merseyside, on July 29 last year claimed the lives of three young girls.
It was meant to be a fun summer holiday event for children, which took place at The Hart Space, a community hub and pregnancy care centre in Southport, 20 miles north of Liverpool.
The police officers, Sergeant Gregory Gillespie, Constable Luke Holden, and PCSO Timothy Parry were all on duty working for Southport police station at the time of the attack.
They heard a radio transmission calling for officers to attend immediately to an incident at Hart Street, in Southport.
The radio transmission described the incident as being one involving a male attacking children with a knife.
But they had no idea of the gruesome scene that awaited them there.
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A police statement said: “Sgt Gillespie made his way to the incident; he was single crewed and currently at another location dealing with a separate case.
“PC Holden and PCSO Parry were at Southport Police Station when they heard the transmission, before heading to the incident together.
“As first on the scene and in those frantic initial moments, these officers were unaware of the horrific events taking place.”
PS Gillespie was the first officer on the scene, and described what he saw as “chaos”.
He saw people gathered on the street, all of whom looked extremely panicked, and many having picked up items to use as weapons.
When he left his vehicle, PS Gillespie saw one of the children that had been seriously injured in the attack.
He shared what he saw via his radio, and told a paramedic to attend to the child before he entered the building, which he believed Rudakubana was still inside.
He decided to call for urgent assistance, and by this time, PC Holden and PCSO Parry had also arrived.
The officers saw a number of parents running away with children, and the door of the building had a smashed glass panel.
PS Gillespie drew his baton and PC Holden drew his Taser before entering whilst PCSO Parry covered the exit.
When the three arrived at the top of the stairs, they found Rudakubana wielding a large knife.
Rudakubana dropped his knife, but the police officers struck him with a baton and kicked him repeatedly to get him under control on the floor.
He was handcuffed and arrested for attempted murder. It was later discovered that he killed three girls - Elsie Stancombe, Alice De Silva Aguiar, and Bebe King.
Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time of the attack, was sentenced to life with a minimum of 52 years.
“We are so proud of Sgt Gillespie, PC Holden and PCSO Parry for their courage, professionalism and swift actions in such horrendous circumstances,” the police statement continued.
“Our thoughts will always remain with Elsie, Bebe and Alice, those who suffered serious injuries and all those involved in the appalling attack.
“Our officers will be among those attending the National Police Bravery Awards on Thursday 10 July to celebrate the extraordinary acts of courage carried out by 69 police officers (plus a police dog) from 38 police forces across England and Wales.”
