'KILLER' IN DOCK
‘Attacker’, 17, smiles as he appears in court for ‘murder’ of 3 children in rampage at Southport Taylor Swift dance camp
Horror unfolded at community centre as hero dance teachers shielded children
A TEEN smiled as he appeared in court charged with murdering three children in a rampage at a Taylor Swift dance class.
Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar were knifed to death in the mass stabbing in Southport.
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Eight other children suffered stab wounds in the horror, with five fighting for life in hospital along with two adults.
Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, 17, appeared at Liverpool Magistrates' Court today charged with three counts of murder.
He is also accused of ten counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article - a curved kitchen knife used in the attack.
The boy, who lives in Banks, Lancashire, but is from Cardiff originally, smiled as he entered the dock.
He then covered his face using the sleeve from his grey prison-issue tracksuit in the dock after earlier arriving at court in a police convoy.
Rudakubana later appeared at Liverpool Crown Court where a judge allowed the teenager to be named.
Usually, any defendants aged under 18 are entitled to anonymity but Judge Andrew Menary KC declined to make such an order to conceal his identity.
The horror unfolded on July 29 as children enjoyed a Taylor Swift Yoga and Dance Workshop at a community centre.
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Terrified witnesses described the rampage as a "horror film" as the teen allegedly stabbed children at random.
Hero dance teacher Leanne Lucas is understood to have been knifed in the arms, neck and back as she used her body to shield young girls from the knifeman.
Her colleague Heidi Liddle escaped uninjured after bravely locking some of the children inside a toilet.
Another adult, Jonathan Hayes, was stabbed in the leg as he tried to fend off the attacker after running into the class when he heard screams.
The attack has sparked riots across the country - despite the local community calling for calm.
Thugs set fire to a police car and hurled bricks at cops in Hartlepool last night as tensions flared.
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In London, 100 people were arrested after clashes erupted in Whitehall.
Flares were hurled at the gates of Downing Street and protesters attempted to kick fences down before they were stopped by police.
Rioters also fought with cops in Southport outside a mosque following the horror attack.
Merseyside Police said more than 50 officers were injured amid the carnage.
It came after false claims were spread online that the alleged killer was an asylum seeker.
The mum of victim Elsie Stancombe later condemned the violence and urged protesters to stop.
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Sir Keir Starmer will meet with senior policing leaders in Downing Street today to offer them the government’s full backing.
Chief Constable of Merseyside Police Serena Kennedy said: "Whilst these charges are a significant milestone within this investigation, this remains very much a live investigation and we continue to work with our partners from Lancashire Police and counter-terrorism police in the North West."
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