LONDON (Reuters) – A teenager accused of murdering three young girls in a knife attack in northern England in July appeared in a London court on Wednesday charged with production of the deadly poison ricin and a terrorism offence.
Axel Rudakubana is accused of killing girls aged between six and nine at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event in Southport, murders that shocked Britain and was followed by days of rioting.
The 18-year-old, who is yet to enter any pleas to charges of murder and attempted murder, has also been charged with production of the lethal biological toxin ricin and possession of an al Qaeda training manual.
Police said after the new charges were made public that the stabbings were still not being treated as terrorist-related. Merseyside Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said no ricin was found at the scene of the stabbings.
Rudakubana appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court by videolink from Belmarsh prison on Tuesday, wearing a grey prison-issue tracksuit, with his sweatshirt held over his face. He did not answer when asked to confirm his name.
He will next appear at Liverpool Crown Court on Nov. 13, when he may be asked to enter pleas to the charges of murder and attempted murder.
Large disturbances broke out in Southport after false reports spread on social media that the suspected killer was a radical Islamist migrant. The disturbances spread across Britain with attacks on mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers.
At the time, police sought to quash the rumours that caused the trouble to erupt, saying the suspect had been born in Britain and there was no terrorism link.
Kennedy on Tuesday rejected online speculation that the police were trying to “keep things from the public”, saying motivation would need to be established for the stabbings to be declared a terrorist incident.
(Reporting by Sam Tobin; Editing by Alex Richardson)
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