On a warm July morning, a Taylor Swift-themed children’s holiday club in Southport should have been filled with dancing, joy, and summer fun. Instead, it became the site of a horrifying mass attack.

In Part 1 of The Southport Murders, Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt revisits the chilling events of July 29, when 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, armed with a 20cm kitchen knife purchased online, launched a deadly assault that left three children dead and several others fighting for their lives. What drove this teenager from Lancashire to commit such an unthinkable act?

Joined by former Detective Chief Superintendent Kevin Hurley, Martin and Helen Fospero examine the early timeline of the attack, the suspect’s background, and the riots and outrage that followed. With insight into youth violence, online weapon access, and police public order strategy, this episode delves deep into the tragedy that stunned the nation and shattered a community.

Trigger Warning: This episode contains graphic content related to violence involving children. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

#SouthportMurders #TrueCrimePodcast #KnifeCrimeUK #AxelRudakubana #TaylorSwiftClubAttack #ChildVictims #UKCrime #TrueCriminals #YouthViolence #MassAttack

If this case gripped you, also listen to:

• The Manchester Arena Bombing

• The Killing of Lee Rigby

• Children Who Kill

• The Dunblane Massacre

• Knife Crime in Britain: A Nation on Edge

............................

Share Your Thoughts and Questions: Connect with us via email at [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you!

Follow Us: Instagram: @true.criminals

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@True-Criminals

Support Us: If you love the podcast, consider supporting us on Patreon for exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/c/TrueCriminals

Connect with Martin Brunt: Twitter: @skymartinbrunt Discover more about Martin’s career and the cases he’s covered by reading his book: No One Got Cracked Over the Head for No Reason: Dispatches from a Crime Reporter. Read Here: https://amzn.eu/d/g1WisSY

Connect with Helen Fospero: Instagram: @helenfospero Check out Helen’s podcast, The Convex Conversation: Listen Here. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-convex-conversation/id1510209575

Credits: True Criminals is produced by Audio Bleach Global. Visit www.audiobleachglobal.com/truecriminals for more information.

Executive Producer: Lee Mann Producer: Russell Barnes Audio Production: Andrew Chappell Music Composition: Chap Mannequin Artwork: Bleached

Here is the link to the Acast survey. Once again, no personal data is collected, and it only takes about five minutes to complete. By filling it out, you'll help us better understand who’s listening and allow us to connect with the right sponsors—so any ads you hear are relevant and respectful of your time.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.