Southport stabbing suspect charged with creating ricin and possession of Al Qaeda training manual

29 October 2024, 15:30 | Updated: 29 October 2024, 17:38

The 18-year-old suspect behind the Southport stabbings has been charged with making the toxic chemical ricin and possession of an Al Qaeda training manual.

Southport suspect Axel Muganwa Rudakubana is now set to face two new charges in court, Merseyside Police said on Tuesday.

The force confirmed the charges relate to the production of a biological toxin under section 1 of the Biological Weapons Act 1974 and possession of information - namely a PDF manual - likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism.

Rudakubana had previously been charged with the murder of three young girls, 10 attempted murders and one charge linked to the possession of a bladed weapon following the Southport stabbings.

Rudakubana will now appear at Westminster Magistrates Court via video link on Wednesday on both charges.

Chief Constable Serena Kennedy of Merseyside Police confirmed on Tuesday that the force would continue to lead the investigation into the attack.

Kennedy added that a search of Rudakubana's home, which took place following the attack on July 29, led officers to uncover the highly toxic biological chemical.

Speaking at the press conference, Ms Kennedy told reporters that Rudakubana had been "charged with two further offences" while he "already faces three charges of murder, 10 charges of attempted murder and one charge of possession of a knife".

She said: "The two further offences relate to evidence obtained by Merseyside Police during searches of Axel Rudakubana's home address as part of a lengthy and complex investigation, which has been ongoing since July 29.

"The additional charges are the production of a biological toxin, namely ricin... and possession of information, namely a PDF file entitled Military Studies in the Jihad against the Tyrants, the Al-Qaeda Training Manual, likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism."

The suspect, who was 17 at the time of the attacks, has already been charged with three counts of murder following the deaths of murders of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, at a Taylor Swift Dance class in Liverpool.

Read more: Southport stabbing suspect, 17, named for the first time as he appears in court charged with murdering three girls

Southport stabbing suspect charged with terror offence and production of poison

The spread of misinformation linked to the suspect following the knife attack, which took place at The Hart Space community centre in Southport, led to a series of riots across England in the weeks that followed.

More than 1,000 people have since been charged, with police vowing more rioters will be brought to justice.

Reporting restrictions preventing the teenager's identification were subsequently lifted by a judge at Liverpool Crown Court in the weeks following the attack.

Police continue to insist the attack was not terror related.

No ricin was found on or near Hart Street Community Centre, police confirmed on Wednesday - the location of the attack.

The force confirmed there was no evidence that any victims, members of the public or emergency services workers were exposed to ricin at any point during or after the Southport incident.

The Chief Constable rebutted widespread speculation noting the police had purposefully withheld information on the suspect following the attack, highlighting this was incorrect.

Instead, she confirmed that the force had been advised by the CPS on what they can and can't say in order to not jeopardise forthcoming court proceedings.

Following the teenager's arrest, police were handed an additional 96 hour extension by the CPS in which to question Rudakubana.

Following charges being brought by the force, it was was later revealed that the suspect was born to Rwandan parents in Cardiff before moving to the village of Banks in Lancashire.

During his court appearance in which he faced the three murder charges, Rudakubana was seen to spend the entire 55 minutes of the hearing covering his whole face.

Wearing a grey sweatshirt pulled up to his hairline, the teenager was seen to rocking back and forth and side to side as the charges were read out.