Southport killer 'attacked pupils with hockey stick' aged 13 after being expelled for carrying knife
20 January 2025, 15:12 | Updated: 20 January 2025, 15:14
Southport killer Axel Rudakubana attempted to attack pupils of his former school with a hockey stick when he was 13-years-old after being expelled for carrying a knife, according to reports.
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Rudakubana was permanently excluded from the Range High School in Formby after he was caught with a blade in the classroom.
He was sent to a pupil referral unit in Lancashire but returned to the school with a hockey stick and a “hit list” of students he wanted to attack.
Pupils were locked in their classrooms during the incident before Rudakubana was reportedly tackled to the ground by the headmaster.
It comes as Rudakubana pleaded guilty to murdering three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport.
The 18-year-old, who spoke aloud in court for the first time today pleaded guilty to murdering Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven.
He refused to stand when asked to by the court clerk and judge after entering court and did not reply when he was asked to confirm his name.
Describing Rudakubana's attempted hockey-stick attack on his former classmates, one pupil said how the teenager had a "hit list of people he wanted to hurt".
He said: “Because he was an ex-student a teacher had let him into the building thinking he was still at the school. He came in with a hockey stick and was running around the corridors trying to beat everyone up. He had a hit list of people he didn’t like and wanted to hurt.”
Another pupil added: “All the teachers were closing the doors and not letting anyone out of the lessons.
“He ran down to the language block and he was trying to find [a boy] specifically, I think, with a hockey stick, and he was trying to attack him with it. So then our headteacher had to jump on him and kind of escort him out.”
A third friend said: “We were walking around the corridors and the next minute, you know, I just saw a big bright yellow coat running towards me. And then he went to hit [a boy] over the head with the stick.
“But luckily the headteacher tackled him to the ground and then he was just on the floor with the headteacher on top of him.”
As the trial over the Southport stabbings got underway at Liverpool Crown Court today, Stan Reiz KC, defending, approached the dock to speak to the defendant and Rudakubana nodded in response to him.
Mr Reiz confirmed there was no dispute that the defendant was Rudakubana and he could hear what was being said.
Judge Mr Justice Goose said: "And he is choosing not to speak?"
Mr Reiz said: "Yes, my lord."
He then asked for the indictment to be put to the defendant again.
After a brief, inaudible interaction with the defendant, Mr Reiz asked for the charges to be put again to Rudakubana.
Wearing a face mask, seated with his head almost touching his knees, Rudakubana replied, "guilty" to each of the 16 counts on the indictment.
Mr Justice Goose has ordered Rudakubana be sentenced on Thursday.
Mr Justice Goose told the killer: "You will understand it is inevitable the sentence to be imposed upon you will mean a life sentence equivalent will be imposed upon you.
