Gary Poland, the taxi driver who transported Axel Rudakubana to the scene of the Southport stabbing attack and then fled, has had his taxi licence revoked by Sefton Council. Poland drove away despite seeing screaming children running “like a stampede for their lives” and waited 50 minutes before calling emergency services.
Details of the Attack
On July 29, 2024, Rudakubana, then 17, murdered Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, and attempted to murder 10 others at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class held at the Hart Space studio in Southport. Poland, a driver for One Call Taxis at the time, had taken Rudakubana to the location after the teenager ignored requests to pay his fare.
In evidence to the Southport Inquiry in September 2025, Poland said he thought Rudakubana had gone to get money when he entered the building. Instead, the attack unfolded. Poland told the inquiry he drove away because he thought he heard gunshots and went into “panic mode,” despite seeing children fleeing alongside his car.
Delay in Calling Emergency Services
Poland did not call 999 until 50 minutes after hearing screams from the studio, having picked up another fare and returned home first. Nicholas Moss KC, counsel to the inquiry, asked Poland: “Do you accept, as you drove away, children were fleeing alongside your car. And you can be seen looking in the rear view camera?” Poland replied, “That’s correct,” adding, “I did not know anybody was injured. I did not see anybody injured.”
In a statement, Poland said: “I regret not helping the children. Their screams were harrowing and I can still hear them when I think back to that day.” However, the inquiry heard that his failure to immediately call 999 did not lead to a significant delay, as dance class teacher Leanne Lucas, despite being critically injured, was able to call emergency services soon after the attack began.
Licence Revocation
Sefton Council’s taxi licensing handbook requires drivers to dial 999 if they believe a child or young person is in serious danger of immediate harm. A council spokesman said: “This individual no longer holds a taxi driver licence following a review by the local authority. A decision was taken that this individual did not meet the appropriate standards set out in Sefton Council’s taxi licensing policy.”
Rudakubana's Sentencing
Rudakubana pleaded guilty to murdering the three girls and attempting to murder eight children and two adults, including Ms Lucas. He also admitted to producing the biological toxin ricin and possessing a terrorist document titled Military Studies in the Jihad against Tyrants: The Al-Qaeda Training Manual. Because he was under 18 at the time of the murders, he could not receive a whole-life order. After turning 18, he was jailed for a minimum of 52 years in January 2025 — one of the highest minimum custody terms on record and thought to be the longest imposed on a killer of his age. The attack made international news and prompted an outpouring of grief across the UK.
