Teenager charged in court with ricin and terrorism charges over Southport murders in England | World News

LONDON – A teenager accused of killing three young girls in a knife attack in northern England in July appeared in a London court on Wednesday, charged with the production of the deadly poison ricin and terrorism offences.

Axel Rudakubana is accused of murdering girls aged six to nine at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event in Southport; These murders shocked Britain and were followed by days of riots.

The 18-year-old, who has not yet entered a plea to murder and attempted murder charges, is also accused of producing the lethal biological toxin ricin and possessing an Al Qaeda training manual.

The stabbings are still not considered terrorism-related, police said after the new charges were made public. Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said no ricin was found at the scene of the stabbing.

Rudakubana appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court via video link from Belmarsh prison on Wednesday, wearing gray prison tracksuits and a sweatshirt covering his face. He did not respond when asked to confirm his name.

He will next appear at Liverpool Crown Court on November 13 and will be asked to plead to charges of murder and attempted murder.

Massive unrest broke out in Southport after false news spread on social media that the suspected killer was a radical Islamic immigrant. The disturbances spread throughout England, with attacks on mosques and hotels housing refugees.

At that time, the police were trying to eliminate the rumors that led to the incident, saying that the suspect was born in England and had no connection with terrorism.

On Tuesday, Kennedy rejected online speculation that police were trying to “hide everything from the public” and said motivation needed to be established before the stabbings could be declared a terrorist incident.

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