Southport inquiry hears taxi driver waited 50 minutes to call 999 after dropping attacker outside dance class

During a public inquiry into the Southport knife attack, evidence presented on Wednesday showed that Gary Poland—the taxi driver who dropped off Axel Rudakubana outside a Taylor Swift–themed dance class—delayed contacting emergency services by about 50 minutes. Rudakubana later killed three children and seriously injured others during a knife rampage at the Hart Space studio in Southport on July 29, 2024.

Rudakubana left his home in Banks, Lancashire, at 11:10 a.m. that day and called One Call Taxis within minutes, using an automated system that logged his name as Simon. He was picked up shortly after 11:30 a.m. and drove for about 14 minutes to Hart Street, where he got out and the taxi driver began asking how Rudakubana would pay. The teen did not respond verbally, and the driver later testified that Rudakubana entered the Hart Space building without paying until he left the vehicle when challenged. The driver later said, "pay now or the police are on the way" to emphasize payment expectations. There were 26 children inside the studio at the time of the attack.

Distress began within 29 seconds of Rudakubana entering the building, with sounds of screaming audible as the attacker went upstairs. Police later noted that a child escaped and had to move around the car. Dashcam footage from Poland's taxi captured children fleeing behind the vehicle and screaming in the street as Poland drove away. At 12:36 p.m., Poland rang 999, telling the operator that he had "picked him up, the lad that's done something" and that he was in shock. He said the suspect had not spoken during the ride but appeared "very, very odd." He added that he was about to drive off when he heard "screaming, proper screaming" from the studio.

Seconds after Poland heard the screams, Leanne Lucas, the dance teacher, ran from the class and called emergency services herself. The public inquiry's counsel questioned Detective Chief Inspector Jason Pye, the senior investigating officer, about whether a member of the public would have been expected to call 999 immediately once they reached a place of safety. Pye replied that while there was no legal duty of care, morally one would expect a call, given the evidence Rudakubana knew what was happening. "There was enough evidence that we had that he knew what was happening, yes you would have expected a phone call to come in," Pye said.

Three children were killed: Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9; Bebe King, 6; and Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7. Rudakubana also attempted to murder about 10 others during the attack and received a minimum 52-year sentence in January. The investigation examined how quickly emergency services were alerted and how the attacker’s route and communications may have influenced the response.

Investigators also reviewed data from Rudakubana’s phones. In the Nokia phone recovered at the scene, Rudakubana had the Hart Space studio address stored with a number corresponding to a local taxi firm, with one digit different. He also had One Call Taxis saved on a basic phone, and the venue’s postcode recorded, which had been advertised publicly on Instagram. The evidence showed he intended to target the venue.

Public hearing at Liverpool Town Hall is part of a formal inquiry overseen by Nicholas Moss KC, with Detective Chief Inspector Jason Pye presenting to discuss operational aspects and potential system improvements. The inquiry has heard that Poland, who is expected to provide further testimony, played a central role in the timeline that day. The inquiries aim to determine whether emergency services response could have been faster and whether bystanders could have acted differently to reduce harm.

The inquiry is ongoing, and Gary Poland is expected to give further evidence later this week. The public inquiry continues to explore the sequence of events, the actions of those involved, and the lessons for future responses to similar incidents.