Southport killer Axel Rudakubana charged with assaulting prison officers

Southport killer Axel Rudakubana had appeared in court accuse of throwing boiling water mixed with sugar at a prison officer.

The 20-year-old is charged with the attempted grievous bodily harm of a prison officer at HMP Belmarsh, having allegedly thrown the boiling mix through the hatch in his cell door on 8 May last year.

He is also charged with two other assaults of prison officers, as well as possession of a knife or other offensive weapon in prison.

Rudakubana, who is serving a life sentence for murdering three children at a dance class in Southport in July 2024, appeared via video link at Westminster Magistrates' Court wearing a pale grey and blue tracksuit top.

He spoke only to confirm that he could hear the chief magistrate, and to give his name and date of birth. He rested his head on his left hand throughout the hearing.

Prosecutor Catherine Pattinson told the court that prompt medical attention prevented the prison officer Rudakubana is alleged to have attacked on 8 May from suffering any lasting injury.

The prosecution also accused him of threatening to soak a female officer outside his cell if she did not pass him a newspaper on 6 May 2025, then throwing an "unknown liquid" at her through his door hatch.

Then, on 28 October last year, he allegedly punched a male prison officer in the face. The prosecution said the officer was trying to establish whether Rudakubana had taken his medication at the time.

The offensive weapon charge relates to sharpened stone shards that the prosecution say had seemingly been prised from the floor of the defendant's cell.

They were found stuck to the under side of a shelving unit in his cell. Pattinson told the court that "when questioned by a prison officer, he said that he was keeping them for self-defence".

Rudakubana, who appeared from Broadmoor secure psychiatric hospital, was not asked to enter pleas during the hearing on Monday. He was remanded into custody to appear at the Old Bailey on 19 October.

He is currently serving out a life sentence over his deadly attack on a Taylor Swift dance class in July 2024, in which he murdered nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar, six-year-old Bebe King, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven.

Rudakubana was also convicted of the attempted murder of eight other children and two adults during the attack.