Southport killer ‘used stolen ID’ to previously buy machetes

The teenager who murdered three girls in the Southport knife attacks “illicitly” obtained two driving licences to order machetes online, a public inquiry has heard.

Axel Rudakubana – referred to in the hearing by his initials – managed to get three large bladed weapons delivered to his home in Banks, Lancashire, in 2023.

On 29 July 2024, he used a kitchen knife to attack a children’s dance workshop in the Merseyside town, killing Alice Aguiar, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Bebe King. Eight other girls and two adults were wounded.

The Southport Inquiry at Liverpool Town Hall has been hearing how the attacker, now 19, had been building an arsenal of weapons in his bedroom for at least two years.

Warning: This article contains distressing content

The inquiry’s first phase is examining the perpetrator’s history, his contact with relevant agencies and any missed opportunities to prevent the attack.

Det Ch Insp Jason Pye, who led the Merseyside Police investigation into the attack, told the inquiry about the online purchases.

Under questioning from Nicholas Moss KC, counsel to the inquiry, he confirmed that two of the machetes had seemingly been “intercepted” by his parents – as one was found on top of a wardrobe and another had not been opened.

However one was found in a black holdall under the teenager’s bed, along with a bow and arrows.

Mr Moss said “quite apart” from the “illegality” of the attacker possessing a machete as a youth, the vendors who sold them to him have suggested the proper use of such tools in the UK is “primarily agricultural”… for “clearing branches and thickets”.

He asked: “Did AR have any remote reason – as far as you can really tell – or his family to be ordering machetes?”

Det Ch Insp Pye replied: “No.”

The inquiry heard online records showed he had bought the weapons from three different companies: Springfields, Knife Warehouse and Hunting and Knives.

For the second and third purchases, he had “somehow” obtained two real driving licences belonging to adults named only as “Alice” and “Samuel” and used them “illicitly”. Both licence-holders were unaware he had used their identities.

Springfields and Knife Warehouse sent the weapons via couriers who requested age checks at the door.

However, the killer appeared to be able to successfully sign for the third weapon despite being under 18, for reasons that will be explored later in the inquiry.

His father Alphonse had told police he signed for one of the machetes and hid it on top of a wardrobe, the second weapon was not discovered until after his then 18-year-old son was sentenced in January to a minimum of 52 years in prison.

Det Ch Insp Pye said this was because, after police discovered the biological toxin ricin in a box in the teen’s bedroom, the house had to be cleared and the contents put into storage.

An unopened package containing the blade was not spotted.

Mr Moss said, based upon emails recovered by the police, the attacker had appeared to have been “preoccupied” with questions about age verification checks and whether “it would be obvious” whether the packages he ordered contained weapons.

He said two companies, Merlin Archery and Tactical Archery, had declined to sell him a crossbow in October 2023.

Earlier, the public inquiry heard a taxi driver who drove the killer to the scene of the attack would have been “morally” expected to call police immediately.

The inquiry heard Gary Poland had shouted at him for not paying his fare, and his dashboard camera recorded the teenager ignoring him and climbing the stairs to the dance studio at 11:45 BST.

Seconds later, as screaming children streamed out of the venue and passed his taxi, Mr Poland drove away and waited more than 50 minutes before dialling 999.

Mr Moss asked Det Ch Insp Pye what he would have expected a “responsible member of the public” to have done.

The officer replied: “Accepting that he had no duty of care, I would like to think, morally, that a call would be made.

“There was enough evidence that we had that he knew what was happening.

“Yes you would have expected a phone call to come in.”

In a 999 call he did eventually make, Mr Poland told the call handler: “The lad that done everything [AR]. I picked him up…I’m just a bit shook up. My heart is going like I don’t know what.”

After describing the killer, the taxi driver said he had seen young children “just screaming”.

“That’s when I shot off then,” he added, referring to himself leaving the scene.

Mr Poland is due to give evidence on Thursday.

Det Ch Insp Pye praised the actions of members of the public who helped the victims of the attack.

They included window cleaner Joel Verite, who rushed in with the first officers on the scene – Sgt Greg Gillespie, PC Luke Holden and PCSO Tim Parry.

The inquiry was told Mr Verite carried six-year-old Bebe King’s body out of the building, and had also earlier carried Alice Aguiar from where she had collapsed in the car park further down the street to get help.

He removed his t-shirt to help stem the bleeding, the inquiry heard.

Det Ch Insp Pye said the public response was an example of “bad meeting good”, and added: “People may have seen on TV how chaotic the scene was outside, but there was lots of good people and it’s only right that we recognise the work that those people did.”

The inquiry was also told how the attacker’s phone was recovered from the crime scene after his arrest, and was found to have the precise address of the dance studio, at 34a Hart Street, saved as a contact.

Det Ch Insp Pye said he believed Rudakubana had saved the address after spotting an advertisement for the Taylor Swift-themed dance class on Instagram.

The inquiry continues.