Axel Rudakubana, convicted of a triple murder, appeared in court via video link to face charges of assaulting prison staff and possessing an offensive weapon at Belmarsh prison. Rudakubana, 20, has been charged with attempting to cause grievous bodily harm in May 2025, assaulting an emergency worker in October 2025, and possessing an offensive weapon in June 2025.
Court documents indicate the alleged weapon Rudakubana possessed was stone shards. He is also accused of throwing boiling water at a prison officer through a cell door hatch after obtaining a kettle. The victim received medical attention to prevent permanent injury. The prisoner allegedly threatened a female guard with liquid before these incidents, though she did not suffer injuries.
Rudakubana was also accused of punching a male guard in the face when questioned about taking his medication. He reportedly told prison staff he feared they were poisoning his food, which led him to possess the stone shards.
Rudakubana was transferred from prison to Broadmoor psychiatric hospital in July of this year. Under the Mental Health Act, prisoners who pose an increased risk and cannot be safely managed in a prison environment due to mental disorders can be moved to secure psychiatric units, where they are treated as patients.
In July 2024, Rudakubana received a life sentence for the murders of nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar, six-year-old Bebe King, and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, along with the attempted murder of eight other children and two adults. The attack occurred during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29, 2024.
Broadmoor Hospital is one of the UK's three high-security hospitals. The Act allows for offenders to be compelled to engage with treatment in a secure hospital before any return to prison or release into the community. If offenders no longer require hospital treatment, a swift return to prison is permitted.