Southport inquiry: teen used stolen IDs to buy machetes before July 2024 attack
Public inquiry reveals how two driving licences were used to order machetes online and how several weapons were delivered to a Lancashire home ahead of the attack
LIVERPOOL, England — The Southport Inquiry heard that Axel Rudakubana, the teenager who murdered three girls in the town’s July 2024 knife attack, had been assembling a weapons cache in his Banks, Lancashire bedroom since 2023 and had obtained two real driving licences to order machetes online.
On 29 July 2024, Rudakubana used a kitchen knife to attack a children’s dance workshop in Southport, killing Alice Aguiar, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Bebe King. Eight other girls and two adults were wounded. The inquiry is examining the perpetrator’s history, potential missed opportunities to prevent the attack, and his access to weapons in the period leading up to the killings.
Records presented to the hearing show Rudakubana ordered three large bladed weapons from three different companies and had them delivered to his home in Banks, Lancashire, in 2023. Two of the machetes were reportedly intercepted by his parents—one found on top of a wardrobe and another not opened—while a third weapon was found in a black holdall under his bed, along with a bow and arrows. The hearing noted the existence of family handouts about the victims.
The inquiry heard how, for the online purchases, Rudakubana used two real driving licences belonging to adults identified only as 'Alice' and 'Samuel'. Both licences were not theirs, and the vendors involved—Springfields, Knife Warehouse and Hunting and Knives—had sent the weapons with couriers who requested age checks at the door. However, Rudakubana appeared able to sign for the third weapon despite being under 18. Assessments will explore how this happened and what safeguards failed.
Det Ch Insp Jason Pye, who led Merseyside Police’s investigation, said the case raised questions about whether authorities adequately verified identity and whether family members were fully aware of the risks posed by the defendant’s possession of such weapons. He noted that the father, Alphonse, had told police he signed for one machete and hid it on top of a wardrobe, while a second weapon was not discovered until after the then-18-year-old killer was sentenced in January to a minimum of 52 years in prison. The inquiry heard that, later, police found a biological toxin, ricin, in a box in Rudakubana’s bedroom, necessitating a broader search and storage of the house’s contents; an unopened package containing a blade had not been spotted at that time.
The inquiry also examined the public’s response to the attack. Taxi driver Gary Poland, who drove Rudakubana to the scene, was described as having acted morally in light of the circumstances. His dashboard camera captured the teenager entering the dance studio as screaming children streamed out. Poland later told the 999 operator that the boy who caused the attack had “done everything,” and he waited more than 50 minutes before contacting emergency services. Counsel to the inquiry pressed Det Ch Insp Pye on what a responsible member of the public would have done; Pye responded that the public would be expected, in such chaotic moments, to make a report when safe to do so. The testimony highlighted the tension between legal duties and moral obligations in a crisis.
Public responders were praised for their actions on the ground. Window cleaner Joel Verite rushed to the scene with first officers and helped remove six-year-old Bebe King from danger, later carrying Alice Aguiar from a car park to obtain medical aid. Det Ch Insp Pye described the response as a case of “bad meeting good,” acknowledging that while the scene appeared chaotic, ordinary citizens performed extraordinary acts to help victims and supporters.
The inquiry also disclosed details about Rudakubana’s communications. Investigators recovered his phone from the crime scene; the device contained the exact address of the dance studio, 34a Hart Street, saved as a contact. Investigators believe the address may have been saved after he noticed an advertisement for a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on Instagram. The hearing noted that this finding would be explored further as part of the broader assessment of Rudakubana’s online activity and contacts.
As the Southport Inquiry continues, officials say the first phase will scrutinize the perpetrator’s history, his contact with relevant agencies, and any missed opportunities to intervene before the attack. The proceedings aim to determine what systemic gaps existed and how they might be addressed to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
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