This is the moment the father of the Southport killer stopped him from going to his old school after he had bought knives – a week before the dance class murders.
The killer’s father can be seen speaking to the taxi driver through an open window before Rudakubana storms out of the car, slamming the door behind him.
He is wearing the same green hooded sweatshirt and surgical mask that he wore on the day he murdered Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven.
The 18-year-old had booked a taxi to go to Range High School in Formby on July 22, a few days after he purchased Apollo Cerbera knives, using the name “Simon”, the same name used to order a cab to Hart Street a week later.
Ten minutes after his taxi was booked, at 12.30pm, pupils were due to leave the school premises on their last day of term.
Rudakubana, 18, was excluded from the secondary school over claims he was carrying a knife and later returned to attack someone with a hockey stick.
When it arrived outside his house, he got into the rear seat, wearing a green hooded top with the hood up and a surgical mask. He had a rucksack with him.
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Prosecutor Deanna Heer KC told Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday: “As the car was about to set off, the defendant’s father ran out of the house and pleaded with the driver not to take him.
“There was an argument, but eventually the defendant got out of the car and returned to the house.
“It is unlikely to be a coincidence that this was the last day of term, with students due to leave the school premises at 12.30pm for the summer.
“The court may infer that this was an earlier attempt to commit offences similar to those he was to carry out at The Hart Space a week later.”
Axel Rudakubana sentenced: The judge’s full ruling
Rudakubana was sentenced to a minimum of 52 years on Thursday for the murders.
Sentencing him today, the judge confirmed the killer could not be jailed for life because he was 17 at the time of the attack, despite his “determination” to inflict “extreme violence”.
He instead ordered Rudakubana, 18, to serve concurrent sentence, admitting the teenager “may never be released” after handing down multiple life sentences totalling 52 years behind bars.
“It was such extreme violence… it is difficult to comprehend why it was done,” presiding judge, Mr Justice Goose, said.
Despite the sentence being among the heaviest ever given out in the UK, some have already pushed for Rudakubana’s sentence to be increased. The Attorney General’s office said the case was referred under the unduly lenient sentence scheme.
Local MP Patrick Hurley, who made the referral, said: “The crimes he committed were horrific and natural justice demands he spend the rest of his life behind bars.”
Keir Starmer said the atrocity in Southport was “one of the most harrowing moments in our country’s history” and “this vile offender will likely never be released.”
