Axel Rudakubana, the Southport killer, will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court via videolink on Monday charged with assaults on prison staff at Belmarsh.
Rudakubana, now 20, was given a life sentence for the murders of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and the attempted murder of eight other children and two adults. He carried out the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29, 2024.
Charges and Allegations
Court documents show Rudakubana has been charged with attempting to cause grievous bodily harm in May 2025, assaulting an emergency worker in October 2025 and possession of an offensive weapon in prison in June 2025. It is alleged the weapon was stone shards.
In May last year it was alleged that Rudakubana poured boiling water from a kettle over a prison officer.
Transfer to Broadmoor
In July this year the Ministry of Justice confirmed that he was transferred from prison to Broadmoor psychiatric hospital. Offenders who present an increased risk and cannot be managed safely in a prison environment because of mental disorders can be moved to secure psychiatric units, where they are treated as patients rather than prisoners.
Broadmoor, in Berkshire, is the oldest of the UK's three high-security hospitals and has held some of the UK's most high-profile criminals, including Ronnie Kray and serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, also known as the Yorkshire Ripper.
Legal Framework
Under the Mental Health Act, officials acting for the Justice Secretary have no choice but to accept the advice of clinical professionals to transfer prisoners to a secure facility. An offender in a secure hospital will be compelled to engage with treatment and to undertake therapies before any return to prison or release into the community. Where offenders no longer require treatment in hospital, the Act allows a swift return to prison.
