The teenager accused of killing three girls in a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class has had not guilty pleas entered on his behalf after staying silent in court once again.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, 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.
Cardiff-born Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time, is also charged with the attempted murder of eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, along with instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.
He appeared at Liverpool Crown Court via videolink from HMP Belmarsh for a preparatory hearing this afternoon. Wearing a grey sweatshirt, he moved his head from side to side at times as the charges were read to him.
Rudakubana also declined to speak when charged with possession of a knife, production of biological toxin ricin, and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism.
Pleas of not guilty were entered to all 16 counts on the indictment.
Rudakubana has similarly remained silent throughout his previous court appearances.
About 15 family members, including Alice’s parents, were in the public gallery for the hearing.
The day after the attack, thousands of people turned out for a peaceful vigil in the town.
But a separate protest later erupted into violence, with misinformation on social media then fuelling further large-scale riots in towns and cities across the UK, with asylum centre hotels in particular targeted.
More than 1,000 arrests have since been made and hundreds of people have been charged and jailed.
Although Rudakubana’s most recent charges come under the biological weapons and terrorism act, the knife attack has not been declared terror related.
Merseyside Police’s Chief Constable Serena Kennedy previously said: ‘I recognise these new charges may lead to speculation.
‘The method by which Axel Rudakubana has been charged under the terror act does not require motive to be established.’
She urged people not to speculate online, adding the suspect had a ‘right to a fair trial’.
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