Axel Rudakubana, the 20-year-old serving a life sentence for the murders of three young girls in Southport, will stand trial next year over an alleged attack on a prison officer involving scalding water mixed with sugar.
Rudakubana is currently imprisoned for killing Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, as well as the attempted murder of eight other children and two adults during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in 2024.
Alleged Attack at Belmarsh
It is claimed that on May 8 last year, he threw the boiling liquid through a hatch in his cell door at Belmarsh prison in south London. On Monday, he appeared at the Old Bailey facing a charge of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to a male prison officer.
Additional charges include two counts of assaulting an emergency worker on May 6 and October 28 last year, plus possession of an offensive weapon within the prison on June 26 last year.
Court Appearance and Trial Date
Rudakubana participated via videolink from Broadmoor hospital before Judge Mark Lucraft KC. Dressed in a grey and black hoodie and accompanied by three hospital staff members, he only confirmed his identity and was not required to enter pleas to the charges.
Judge Lucraft scheduled a provisional two-week trial commencing October 4 next year, with a further review hearing set for February 5.
Further Allegations
It is alleged that two days prior to the hot water incident, Rudakubana threatened to "soak" a female officer outside his cell if she refused to hand him a newspaper, subsequently throwing liquid at her. He is also accused of punching a male officer who had confronted him on October 28.
In June of last year, sharpened fragments of stone, believed to have been broken away from his cell floor, were discovered concealed beneath a shelving unit. The defendant was charged on July 28, with the case subsequently referred to the Old Bailey.
