Axel Rudakubana will stand trial at Liverpool Crown Court today (January 20), accused of killing three little girls in a knife attack in Southport last year.

The 18-year-old from Banks, Lancashire, is charged with the murders of three children - Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, Bebe King, 6, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7 - who died after being stabbed during a Taylor Swift-themed children's holiday club class at the Hart Space on July 29, 2024.

He is also accused of the attempted murder of eight other children - who cannot be named for legal reasons - as well as dance instructor Leanne Lucas and local businessman John Hayes.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the priority must be to ensure justice is done: She said: “This will be a deeply traumatic and distressing time for the families of Alice, Bebe and Elsie, the survivors, and the people of Southport, and the whole country will be thinking of them.

Young girls Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar all died as a reuslt of the knife attack. | Handout

placeholder image — Young girls Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar all died as a reuslt of the knife attack. | Handout

“The most important thing for all of us is to ensure that the legal process can take its course, to respect the difficult job the court has to do, so there is a fair trial and justice can be done.

“There will be a time at the end of this trial to discuss what happened and the action needed in response to this horrific tragedy. But for now, and until the proceedings have concluded, the priority for all of us must be to ensure justice is done.”

Rudakubana is also charged with possession of a knife, production of a biological toxin, ricin, and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism - in the form of an Al Qaeda manual. Both items were discovered following searches of his home by police.

Axel Rudakubana, of Banks, Lancashire, is charged with the murders of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine; Bebe King, six; and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven; who died following the stabbings at The Hart Space in Southport, Merseyside, shortly before midday on July 29. | Elizabeth Cook/PA Wire

Last week, Merseyside Police warned of the consequences of speculating about the trial online. A statement from the force said: “The trial of Axel Rudakubana will begin on Monday 20 January relating to the incident at Hart Street, Southport, on 29 July 2024.

“We want to remind everyone that proceedings remain active throughout the entirety of the trial and it is important that there is no sharing or posting of information online which could in any way prejudice the trial. Doing so may be in breach of the Contempt of Court act and lead to prosecution by the Attorney General."

Rudakubana has not spoken during any of his court hearings and pleas of not guilty have been entered to all 16 counts on the indictment. The trial begins today and is expected to last up to four weeks.