Axel Rudakubana latest: Killer made enough ricin to ‘kill 12,000 people’ as Met chief says attack wasn’t terrorism – UK Times

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley was asked by Nick Ferrari on LBC if the killings which left three dead and 10 injured, was classed as an act of terrorism.

He replied: “Not on the law as it is today, no.”

“That’s what police decided, CPS decided,” he said, highlighting that “changes are needed” were needed when it came to the categorisation of crime.

He highlighted that the UK has some of the strictest contempt of court laws anywhere in the world, adding the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has to ensure that trials are fair and not subject to prejudice.

“It is frustrating,” he admitted on LBC, “but it is the law”.

“There are countries where contempt of court laws are nowhere near this and you’re able to talk more freely, but in our legal system if the police or CPS had said loads more there is a risk you would have undermined the trial.”

Merseyside Police have released images of the dangerous items in Axel Rudakubana’s possession, which includes the toxin ricin which was discovered in his bedroom.

The court heard following this incident, The Acorns School refused to have Axel Rudakubana on the premises and instead sent schoolwork home for him to complete. He did not do so, however.

Prosecutor Deanna Heer said in July 2020 he returned to school under two to one supervision.

In February 2021 he was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and in April 2021 he received a formal education and healthcare plan (EHCP).

During this period, three referrals were made to Prevent: – In November 2019 a referral was made because the defendant had been researching school shootings during an information technology class. – In February 2021 a referral was made following reports that he had uploaded to Instagram two images of Colonel Gadaffi. – In April 2021 a referral was made because he had been found researching the London Bridge terror attack.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that following reports of incidents at home, the defendant stopped attending school in May 2021.

Later, in March 2022, a place was found for him at Presfield High School, but he did not attend.

Ms Heer said: “On March 17 2022 he was reported missing. He was found by the police in possession of a small kitchen knife. He said that he wanted to stab someone so that he would get into trouble and his Tik Tok account, which contained embarrassing videos that he was unable to delete, would be closed down by the police.

“He said he had also thought about poisoning people and/or had tried to make poison for the same reason.”

Axel Rudakubana has previous convictions for assault, possession of an offensive weapon and possession of a bladed article over an incident at his old school, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

The prosecutor said on 11 December 2019, the defendant booked a taxi to take him to The Range High School, where he used a hockey stick to attack another pupil.

When the police were called, a kitchen knife was found in his backpack.

He was charged with and pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, possession of an offensive weapon and possession of a bladed article and a referral order was imposed.

Officers found violent content on Axel Rudakubana’s devices including images of dead bodies, victims of torture, beheadings, cartoons depicting killing, violence and rape or which insulted or mocked different religions, including Islam, Judaism and Christianity, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Deanna Heer KC said there were numerous images relating to different wars and international conflicts, including in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Korea, Iraq and the Balkans.

The court heard a number of documents were found which also related to war, weapons and genocide.

These included documents called “A concise history of Nazi Germany,” “Death and survival during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda,” and “Examination of punishments dealt to slave rebels in two 18th Century British Plantation Societies”.

Police found a document called “Military studies in the Jihad against Tyrants: The Al-Qaeda Training Manual” on a tablet belonging to the defendant, the court heard.

Ms Heer said of particular relevance were; a passage referring to assassination and mass murder; a section called “Assassinations Using Cold Steel: A: Assassinating with a Knife” which gave advice on where the “enemy” should be struck in order to kill; and “Assassinations with Poison,” which gave information on the production of ricin and explained that it is considered one of the most deadly poisons.

The prosecutor said: “The manual had been downloaded on three occasions in 2021, meaning that it was already in the defendant’s possession when he purchased the castor beans from which he produced the ricin in early 2022. If that is right, then he clearly knew just how deadly a substance it was before he produced it.

“Furthermore, by the time he went to The Hart Space in 2024, the defendant was in possession of instructions in the manual on how to carry out a knife attack with lethal force.”