Southport murder accused in court on terror charge

An 18-year-old who is accused of murdering 3 girls successful Southport has appeared successful tribunal implicit a panic charge.

Axel Rudakubana, who appeared via videolink astatine Westminster Magistrates' Court, is charged with making the toxic poison ricin.

He besides faces a complaint of possessing a PDF record apt to beryllium utile successful committing oregon preparing an enactment of terrorism.

Mr Rudakubana held his grey tracksuit apical implicit the bottommost fractional of his look and did not respond erstwhile asked to corroborate his name.

A information serviceman with him astatine Belmarsh Prison, wherever the suspect is being held, told the tribunal helium had chosen not to speak.

Stan Reiz KC, defence lawyer, said: "Mr Rudakubana has remained soundless astatine erstwhile hearings arsenic well”, adding "for reasons of his ain helium has chosen not to reply the question".

Mr Rudakubana, from the colony of Banks successful Lancashire, has already been charged with the murders of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, aft the attacks successful Southport connected 29 July.

He besides faces charges connected 10 counts of attempted execution and possession of a weapon aft the stabbings.

Eight of the alleged attempted murders interest attacks connected children who cannot beryllium named for ineligible reasons, portion the last 2 allegations interest alleged attacks connected yoga teacher Leanne Lucas and different adult, John Hayes.

Chief Magistrate, territory justice Paul Goldspring remanded the suspect successful custody connected the caller charges astatine the little hearing, which lasted little than 10 minutes.

Judge Goldspring sent the lawsuit to Liverpool Crown Court for a plea and proceedings mentation proceeding connected 13 November, to beryllium dealt with alongside the different charges.

The coercion and poison charges were brought guardant by prosecutors aft the police’s continuing probe into the suspect.

They see accumulation of a biologic toxin contrary to Section 1 of the Biological Weapons Act 1974 and possession a PDF papers of a benignant apt to beryllium utile to a idiosyncratic committing to oregon preparing an enactment of terrorism, contrary to Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

The PDF record was not an Al-Qaeda papers but alternatively a subject survey of a manual made by the Islamist panic organisation.