Southport knifeman's ricin 'killed my cat', neighbour of Axel Rudakubana claims
20 January 2025, 16:03 | Updated: 20 January 2025, 16:04
A neighbour of the Southport killer Axel Rudakubana has claimed the biological toxin, ricin, produced by the teenager fatally poisoned her cat.
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Rudakubana pleaded guilty to carrying out the knife attack which claimed the lives of three young girls - Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven - and trying to kill eight others.
Caroline McDonald, 50, told the Telegraph she was heartbroken when her cat Jo Jo died less than 24 hours after police found him in a forensics tent outside the terrorist next door's home.
Merseyside Police found the toxin during a search of Rudakubana’s home and that it presented “a low risk to the public”.
Mrs McDonald said that nearly a month after officers first discovered the substance, a plain-clothed officer warned her that Jo Jo “kept going into the forensic tent and possibly got into the house”.
The next day, her pet was rushed to the vet after foaming from the mouth. He had a seizure and was then euthanised.
‘Police lied to us’
Mrs McDonald has also claimed she was lied to by police - and that she hasn't received an apology.
She said: “I’m angry that the police lied to us.
"They sent an inspector round to the house and lied to my face saying there was nothing toxic or hazardous found next door - that was an outright lie.
“It might have a low risk to a human, but it wasn’t a low risk to my cat. We would have kept the cats in if they had been honest.
"That’s what annoys me, there’s not been an apology.
“I believe the police have been keeping information detrimental to our health from us and on the balance of probability my cat has been poisoned due to the chemical risk next door..to which he was exposed to by entering the forensic tent and house.”
'Hit list'
Since the attack, it has since emerged that Rudakubana broke into his former school and tried to attack fellow pupils with a hockey stick after he was expelled for carrying a knife.
The teen was permanently excluded from the Range High School in Formby after he was caught with a blade in the classroom when he was aged 13.
He was sent to a pupil referral unit in Lancashire but returned to his former school armed with a weapon and a “hit list” of students he wanted to attack.
Pupils were locked in their classrooms during the incident and Rudakubana was only prevented from causing serious injury when he was physically tackled to the ground by the headmaster.
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.”
“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.”
Earlier, Rudakubana spoke aloud in court for the first time
The defendant, who was 17 at the time of the attack, admitted the murders of the girls as well as the attempted murders of eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.
He also pleaded guilty to possession of a knife.
Rudakubana also admitted production of a biological toxin, ricin, on or before July 29 and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism.
Summer riots which saw violence across the country were sparked by the stabbings.
At the trial at Liverpool Crown Court today, 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.
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.
He 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.
'No sign of remorse'
Speaking outside court following the guilty pleas entered by Axel Rudakubana, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor Ursula Doyle said: "This was an unspeakable attack - one which left an enduring mark on our community and the nation for its savagery and senselessness.
"At the start of the school holidays, a day which should have been one of carefree innocence; of children enjoying a dance workshop and making friendship bracelets, became a scene of the darkest horror as Axel Rudakubana carried out his meticulously planned rampage.
"It is clear that this was a young man with a sickening and sustained interest in death and violence.
"He has shown no sign of remorse.
"The prosecution was determined to prove his guilt and I am deeply grateful that today's plea has spared the families at the heart of this case the pain of having to relive their ordeal through a trial.
"Today, our thoughts are with all those whose lives were altered by what happened on that day.
"Most of all, we think of Elsie, Bebe, and Alice - the three beautiful young girls whose lives were cut short - and wish strength and courage to the families who loved and cherished them."
