Fury as Southport killer 'played the system'

Fresh details have laid bare the Southport killer's long history of trying to "control and manipulate" doctors, teachers and support workers, as outrage continues over his transfer from a high-security prison to Broadmoor psychiatric hospital. The revelations have intensified criticism from victims' families, who say Axel Rudakubana has once again succeeded in "manipulating the system".

Rudakubana, 19, is serving a life sentence after murdering three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport in 2024. He also received sentences for the attempted murders of eight children and two adults.

His move from HMP Belmarsh to Broadmoor has sparked widespread condemnation. The families of Alice da Silva Aguiar, Bebe King and Elsie Dot Stancombe said they were devastated by the decision and claimed it reflected another attempt by the killer to exploit the system.

Alice da Silva Aguiar, Bebe King and Elsie Dot Stancombe

Now, evidence published during the first phase of the Southport Inquiry has revealed a repeated pattern of manipulative behaviour stretching back years before the murders. Witnesses described multiple occasions when Rudakubana allegedly tried to deceive or influence medical professionals to achieve his own aims.

Three years before the Southport attack, Rudakubana demanded access to a consultant psychiatrist following violent incidents at school, including striking another pupil with a hockey stick. During his first appointment in July 2021, consultant psychiatrist Dr Lakshmi Ramasubramanian said he appeared to present symptoms of anxiety "as if he had rehearsed it from a book".

She told the inquiry he seemed determined to persuade her that he required medication. She described him as "demanding, argumentative" and said he attempted to dictate the consultation, adding she would "almost use the word manipulate".

Another mental health support worker said Rudakubana later refused to take prescribed medication because he believed it was ineffective. He would not continue treatment until a doctor changed his prescription.

Inquiry chairman Sir Adrian Fulford concluded there was clear evidence Rudakubana had tried to "dictate treatment". He said the killer appeared interested in describing symptoms only to obtain particular medication and labelled him "deeply manipulative and routinely untruthful", calling that one of the defining hallmarks of his personality.

A teacher also painted a troubling picture. She described Rudakubana as "the most complex child I have ever taught", saying he combined strong academic ability with low social maturity and underdeveloped social skills. She added that he could be highly manipulative and required a calm, measured approach.

The inquiry also heard that in January 2022 Rudakubana refused to attend school for a week until he secured a face-to-face meeting with a mental health worker.

Independent medical professionals later concluded he could no longer receive appropriate mental health treatment in prison, prompting his transfer to Broadmoor under the Mental Health Act.

The Ministry of Justice is understood to have been required to accept those medical recommendations, while the law requires he returns to prison once hospital treatment is no longer necessary.

Mark Fairhurst, national chairman of the Prison Officers' Association, claimed Rudakubana had "played the system" to gain access to the greater freedoms available in a secure psychiatric hospital.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage branded the transfer "outrageous" and called for the decision to be reversed immediately.

The contrast between the two institutions has fuelled further controversy. HMP Belmarsh is a Category A prison where inspectors previously found inmates spending as little as 90 minutes outside their cells, alongside reports of vermin, limited purposeful activity and poor segregation conditions.

Broadmoor, operated by the West London NHS Trust, focuses on treatment and recovery for up to 210 male patients with mental health disorders. It provides activities including arts and crafts, sports, vocational training, a café, hairdresser, pottery workshop and multi-faith sanctuary.

The victims' families said they were informed of the transfer only within the previous 48 hours and received only the "barest of details". Their representative, Chris Walker, said the timing, close to the second anniversary of the murders, compounded their distress and appeared to represent another attempt by Rudakubana to manipulate the system.

The decision was also criticised by relatives of Nottingham victim Grace O'Malley Kumar. Her father, Sanjoy Kumar, argued that mental health-related convictions are being handled incorrectly, while Emma Webber, whose son Barnaby was killed by Valdo Calocane, called the transfer "an insult to the dead and a betrayal of the living".

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said the offender had been transferred to a high-security psychiatric unit following rigorous security checks. The spokesman stressed the move does not alter Rudakubana's 52-year sentence and said he will serve every single day before returning to prison when doctors judge him fit.

Southport killer’s attempts to manipulate doctors exposed by report