Southport attack: Murder suspect Axel Rudakubana charged after discovery of ricin and al-Qaeda handbook | UK News

A teenager accused of stabbing three girls to death in Southport faces a separate terrorism charge after police said a search of his home turned up a biological toxin and an al-Qaeda training manual.

Axel Rudakubana, 18, from Lancashire, was previously charged with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder. mass stabbing At a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop in July.

At today’s briefing, Chief Constable Serena Kennedy of Merseyside Police said the teenager faces two further charges relating to evidence obtained by police following a search of his home following the attacks.

He said he now faces charges of “producing a biological toxin, namely ricin, contrary to Section 1 of the Biological Weapons Act 1974.”

He also faces terrorism charges for possessing information “likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, contrary to Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000”.

He added that this accusation was related to the PDF file titled “Military Studies in Jihad Against Oppressors: Al-Qaeda Training Guide”.

However, the police did not declare the events of July 29 as a terrorist incident.

Police Chief Kennedy said, “In order for an incident to be declared as a terrorist incident, motivation must be provided.”

Health officials added that there was no evidence of ricin poisoning or that anyone in the public was exposed to the toxin at the dance event where the attack occurred.

Police Chief Kennedy said, “Following the events on Monday, July 29, searches at Axel Rudakubana’s house resulted in the discovery of an unknown substance. Tests confirmed that the substance was ricin.”

“We have worked extensively with our partners to determine that the risk to the public is low to very low, and I want to make that assurance clear today.”

It was confirmed that Ricin was located at Rudakubana’s home after scientists from the government’s Defense Science and Technology Laboratory conducted tests on the evidence.

Dr. from the United Kingdom Health Safety Agency (UKHSA). Renu Bindra said experts from the agency “immediately conducted a comprehensive public health risk assessment” after police alerted them to the presence of ricin at the facility in early August.

He continued: “There was no evidence that any victims, responders or members of the public were exposed to ricin as part of or following the incident.

“Our initial detailed risk assessment determined that the risk to the community and the wider public is low.”

Rudakubana will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court tomorrow via video link on the latest charges.

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Girls killed, children injured

The names of the three girls killed in the Southport attack were announced as six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar.

Eight more children were stabbed in an attack on Hart Space community center in the Merseyside town.

Five of them remained in critical condition. The condition of two adults trying to protect the children was also critical.

Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time, was arrested the same day on suspicion of carrying out the attack.

Followed this for days Far-right riots in the United Kingdom Following false information on the internet, it was stated that the suspect was an asylum seeker who came to England by boat.

However, it was later revealed that Rudakubana was born in Cardiff in Wales.

The government said nearly 400 people have been jailed so far for disorder-related offences.