Teenage Southport murder suspect appears in court accused of killing three girls in dance class
1 August 2024, 10:40 | Updated: 1 August 2024, 11:58
A 17-year-old boy has appeared in court charged with the murder of three girls who were stabbed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.
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The teenager, from Banks in Lancashire, appeared in the dock at Liverpool Magistrates' Court charged with three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and possession of a kitchen knife with a curved blade.
The defendant was brought into court at 10.21am, wearing a baggy grey tracksuit and black slippers.
The 17-year-old used his left hand to pull his sweatshirt over his face above his nose and kept his head low during the five-minute hearing, in which he did not speak.
He was remanded into youth detention accommodation and will appear at Liverpool Crown Court later on Thursday.
Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, were fatally stabbed on Monday when a knifeman entered the dance class on Hart Street in Southport, Merseyside.
Eight other children suffered knife wounds while two adults were also critically hurt.
Two children were discharged on Thursday with five others in a stable condition, Alder Hey Hospital has announced.
Read more: Russia could be fuelling far-right riots after Southport killings, ex-MI6 boss warns
Merseyside Police announced they were charging the boy at a midnight press conference on Thursday.
He cannot be named because he is under 18.
Chief Constable of Merseyside Police Serena Kennedy said: "Whilst these charges are a significant milestone within this investigation, this remains very much a live investigation and we continue to work with our partners from Lancashire Police and counter-terrorism police in the North West."
During the press conference, the force highlighted that this was a "live investigation" and urged people not to speculate about the boys identity online.
The development comes after far-right rioters took to the streets in a second night of unrest in London and Hartlepool last night, resulting in more than 100 arrests.
It follows initial unrest in Southport on Tuesday night which saw far-Right rioters target a mosque, a move that was believed to be fuelled by online disinformation which suggested that the alleged perpetrator was a Muslim.
Police called in support from neighbouring forces in case of further disorder, but the seaside town appeared to remain quiet on Wednesday evening, however unrest developed in other areas of the country.
Protesters, chanting "you're not English any more" and throwing bottles and cans at police in riot gear, were detained on Whitehall while in Hartlepool, County Durham, a police car was set alight and glass bottles and eggs were thrown at officers.
