Axel Rudakubana, the 19-year-old convicted of murdering three children in a 2024 stabbing attack, had a history of deception, telling authorities at least 26 lies before the incident, according to reports.
Rudakubana murdered Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, Bebe King, 6, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport. He also attempted to murder eight other children and two adults. He was jailed for life in January 2025 and ordered to serve a minimum of 52 years. In addition to the murders and attempted murders, he was convicted of producing the biological toxin ricin and possessing an al-Qaida training manual, an offense under the Terrorism Act.
His pattern of alleged manipulation reportedly began at age 13, when he is said to have attempted to influence a social worker after an assault at school. In 2022, when apprehended with a knife on a bus, Rudakubana allegedly told police he wanted his phone seized to delete embarrassing TikTok videos. He later claimed a doctor had advised him that committing a serious crime was the easiest way to achieve this. While attending school, Rudakubana was also found looking at information about U.S. school shootings on a computer but claimed to Prevent officers and social care staff that he had merely clicked on a Yahoo news link.
This week, Rudakubana has been accused of attempting to "manipulate the system" following his transfer from Belmarsh prison to Broadmoor, a high-security psychiatric hospital. This move followed a decision that he could not be managed safely within a prison environment. Critics, including Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Timothy and Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, have suggested the transfer is a bid for more comfortable conditions, with Philp noting that Broadmoor, while secure, operates under a different regime than a prison and questioning Rudakubana's timing in claiming mental health issues, as he did not plead them at trial.
The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) stated that Rudakubana will remain under lock and key for his entire sentence and is unlikely to be released. A spokesperson emphasized that high-security hospitals are not places of freedom and that he will be under constant supervision, with plans for his return to prison as soon as possible following a robust independent clinical assessment.
Lawyer Chris Walker, representing the Southport families, expressed that the families were devastated by the news of the transfer, particularly as the second anniversary of the attack approaches, viewing it as another attempt by Rudakubana to manipulate the system. The Prison Officers' Association chair, Mark Fairhurst, echoed concerns, stating Rudakubana had "played the system" and would now be classified as a patient, potentially placing his former colleagues at risk.
Emma Webber, whose son was killed in the 2023 Nottingham stabbings, criticized the system's perceived accommodation of Rudakubana, calling the transfer an insult to the victims and a betrayal of the living. The increased cost to taxpayers for a place in a high-security psychiatric hospital, estimated at over £300,000 annually compared to around £60,000 for a prison inmate, has also drawn scrutiny.
Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office, Sally Jameson, assured that Rudakubana would be returned to prison and would not qualify for benefits, stating that high-security hospitals function as prison hospitals with stringent conditions. She expressed confidence he would serve his sentence under punitive and solitary conditions.
Rudakubana's transfer followed an incident in May 2025 where he attacked a prison officer at HMP Belmarsh. Details revealed after the killings also indicated a history of contact with mental health services, including care from Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust between 2019 and 2023, and referrals to the Government's Prevent counter-extremism program. His referrals did not result in intervention due to a lack of clear ideological motivation behind his fixation with extreme violence.
