Southport killer’s father defended ‘good boy’ for bringing knife to school, inquiry told | UK | News

The father of the Southport attacker told a public inquest that his son was a “good boy” despite admitting he took a knife to school to stab someone. Headteacher Michael McGarry, of Range High School in Formby, told Southport Inquiry on Wednesday that Axel Rudakubana was permanently expelled in October 2019 after admitting to Childline that he brought a gun to school.

Less than four years later, on July 29 last year, Rudakubana, then 17, killed seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, six-year-old Bebe King and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar during an attack on a dance class in Southport. Mr McGarry said Rudakubana, referred to as AR during the investigation, attended school well for his first two years but in October 2019 there was a “marked and rapid escalation” in his behaviour.

The inquest heard that on October 7 the same year, Rudakubana and another boy were sent home from school after fighting in English class.

Mr McGarry said he was told that evening that police had contacted the school to say Rudakubana had admitted bringing a knife to school.

He later learned that Rudakubana had said he planned to “stab someone because he was tired of pushing and shoving him around.”

It was decided that he would be permanently suspended, but his parents were allowed to object to the board meeting.

The inquest heard that before the meeting, Rudakubana’s father Alphonse emailed PC Alexander McNamee, a Lancashire Constabulary officer who visited the family’s home.

In the email, Mr Rudakubana said: “Axel knew what he did was wrong but he also knew that the school was comfortable with fighting, intimidation, a real gang culture among students.

“One should be afraid of carrying a gun, knowing that it is extremely dangerous.

“However, he deserves credit for making it known that he carries a knife and that he has a second chance to stay in school if he wants to. He’s a good kid. I know him.”

He also accused the school of fostering a “culture of bullying”.

Mr McGarry, who started working at the school in September 2019, said he did not recognize that description and that no one had been with a knife at the school since Rudakubana.

The inquest heard Rudakubana returned to the school on December 11, 2019 and managed to get someone into the building through the “back door”.

Mr McGarry said he was holding a meeting when he saw Rudakubana running away “very quickly”.

The principal followed him down the hall and saw a group of students approaching.

“This was the point where he pulled this hockey stick out from under the puffer jacket he was wearing,” he said. “He lifted his hockey stick as if he was going to throw it towards these students. It hit another student.”

Mr McGarry said he caught Rudakubana in a “bear hug” as a colleague picked up his hockey stick.

They took him to the principal’s office, where Rudakubana said little but made “some statements” that he wanted to look for and kill the boy he blamed for his exclusion.

Police were called and found a knife in her bag.

Mr McGarry told the inquest: “He didn’t seem concerned about it. There wasn’t any sense of shock. I remember being very shocked by what I saw.”

Axel’s father came to school after being called.

Mr McGarry said: “When he came in he sort of looked at the boy. He said his name and said ‘what have you done’ and there was no reaction from AR.”

When police announced where Rudakubana would be taken, his father “became quite argumentative” and said it was not appropriate for him to go there.

“I asked my father, ‘Do you realize the seriousness of what your son did today?’ I remember saying. – both to himself and to the school community at Range,” Mr McGarry said. “I actually didn’t get any reaction. He continued arguing with the police.”

The inquest was adjourned until Thursday, when further evidence from teaching staff is awaited.