Taxi driver who dropped Southport killer at the dance class then fled as he listened to children’s screams is stripped of his licence

The taxi driver who dropped Southport murderer Axel Rudakubana off at a children’s dance class had his license stripped after he fled the scene and did not immediately call 999 despite hearing a ‘terrible orchestra of blood-curdling screams’.

Gary Poland, 56, said he heard four or five loud bangs and drove in ‘death fear and shock’ because he feared Rudakubana had a gun and was shooting at people.

He sped away, called his best friend twice and paid another fee before heading home and finally dialing 999 almost an hour later.

Sefton Council on Merseyside has confirmed that its taxi license has been revoked for ‘failing to meet appropriate standards’.

Taxi license hearings are private and the reasons for license revocation are never made public.

But conditions added to licenses issued by Sefton Council state that drivers must be ‘in a good position to help keep children and young people safe’.

The rules add: ‘Of course, if you think a child or young person is in serious danger of immediate harm you should call the emergency police telephone number 999.’

Poland did not call 999 immediately, but the inquest into the terror attack heard this did not significantly delay the police response because dance teacher Leanne Lucas made her own emergency call seconds after the attack began, despite being stabbed multiple times.

On the morning of July 29, 2024, the 56-year-old man picked up Axel Rudakubana and took him to Hart Space, where 26 young girls were enjoying a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club.

Mr. Poland did not stop to help even though he saw children running from the building and screaming in terror in his rearview mirror.

Six-year-old Bebe King and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe died at the scene, while nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar died in hospital the next day.

Southport triple killer Axel Rudakubana is seen in the back of a taxi before launching a frenzied attack on children. Poland fled fearing for his life

(LR) Six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar were killed in the July 29, 2024 atrocity.

In September last year the driver told a public inquiry at Liverpool City Hall that he wished he had called the police sooner.

But he insisted: ‘I did what I did through fear, shock and panic.

‘These are human emotions that I cannot control. ‘I regret not helping the children, their screams were heartbreaking.’

The inquest was shown Mr Poland’s statement to police about six hours after the attack.

In it, he described children’s screams as ‘horrible’ and ‘the scariest sound’.

‘An orchestra of blood-curdling screams filled the air,’ he told police. ‘Scream after scream pierced my ears, the screams sounded like a mixture of young and old, male and female.

‘This was so scary, I was in a state of complete mortal fear and shock.

‘I then saw a group of children, aged about six or seven, stumble and hurriedly run out of 34a Hart St. in a panic. ‘They were screaming, it was like a stampede for their lives.’

Despite this, Mr. Poland admitted that he did not stop or call the police; Instead, out of concern for his safety, he called his best friend, Julian Medlock, who worked in the garage and the spray shop next to the dance studio.

Mr Poland claimed that during the investigation he had accepted his next job and that it ‘accidentally’ came to him a short time later via an App on his mobile phone.

In this conversation Mr Poland told Mr Medlock: ‘I heard these bloody gunshots and I shot at Jim… I’m lucky he didn’t shoot me, wasn’t he?’

Mr Poland claimed during the investigation that he accepted his next job, which came to him ‘accidentally’ shortly afterwards via an app on his mobile phone.

‘I accepted the job, I don’t know why,’ he said. ‘My head wasn’t there, I didn’t really know what I was doing.’

Mr Moss said Mr Poland even had casual conversations with his female passenger and when a police car sped past with its emergency lights flashing and sirens blaring, she said: ‘He’s in a hurry, isn’t he?’

The inquest heard that Mr Poland’s failure to call 999 immediately did not cause a significant delay because dance teacher Leanne Lucas was able to call him within minutes of the attack starting, despite being seriously injured from multiple stab wounds.

Chris Walker, serious injury director at law firm Bond Turner, said three bereaved families he represented welcomed the decision to revoke Mr Poland’s license “as a necessary step towards securing individual liability for those whose actions fell below the standards the public should expect”.

Sefton Council said: ‘Mr Poland no longer holds a taxi driver’s licence, following a review by the local authority into whether he holds this licence.

‘The council found that he did not meet appropriate standards.’

Axel Rudakubana was sentenced to life imprisonment and a minimum term of 52 years at Liverpool Crown Court in January last year.

A spokesman added that taxi license hearings were held privately and the exact reason for the cancellation was not made public.

The inquest heard that Mr Poland, who worked for One Call Taxis, picked Rudakubana from his home in the village of Banks, about five miles from the seaside town, at 11.31am.

He used the fake name ‘Simon’ to book a taxi and was wearing a Covid-style face mask and a distinctive green hoodie.

Mr Poland, who has been a taxi driver for 27 years, said Rudakubana spoke little during the 14-minute journey but this did not cause concern.

However, when the taxi stopped in front of the dance studio, Rudakubana got out without paying.

Mr. Poland said he objected to him and threatened to call the police, but Rudakubana walked away and entered the studio up the stairs.

The inquest was told that distress sounds were recorded on Mr Poland’s dashcam just 29 seconds later.

Mr Poland said: ‘I was waiting for my money. ‘I thought I’d give him a minute or two and I did, then I heard all the screaming.’

He claimed he went into ‘panic mode’ and walked away after hearing what he thought was a gunshot.

Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice da Silva Aguiar were killed by 17-year-old Rudakubana. Ten more people, including eight girls and two adults, were seriously injured.

Rudakubana admitted the murder and was sentenced to a minimum of 52 years in prison at Liverpool Crown Court in January last year.

Mr Poland said he has suffered psychological problems since the attack and no longer buys tickets he doesn’t know about.

‘I can’t sleep at night,’ he said. ‘I close my eyes and see her face, she’s always in my head.’

In May this year, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy announced a change to the youth justice system; These include reforms that mean parents and guardians could be jailed if they do not play their part in stopping their children from offending.

As part of the plans, parents and carers may face greater responsibilities and harsh responses to their children who commit crimes and engage in anti-social behaviour.

It comes after a damning report revealed that the Southport attack would not have happened if Rudakubana’s parents had done their ‘moral’ duty because they did nothing despite knowing their son had stockpiled an arsenal of weapons, including machetes, for at least a year.

Sir Adrian Fulford, who chaired the public inquiry, said his actions, combined with disastrous failures by the police, social services, mental health teams and other state agencies, left the teenager free to kill.