A 17-year-old boy charged with murdering three children and the attempted murder of 10 others, including two adults, has appeared in court for the first time.
The suspect, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested at the scene on Hart Street, Southport, after a mass stabbing attack at a Taylor Swift dance class.
Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar died after the knife attack at the Merseyside town.
The boy was charged last night, with Chief Constable of Merseyside Police Serena Kennedy saying that a “live investigation” continues.
The suspect appeared in court accompanied by a large police presencePA“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.”
District Judge James Hatton said: “We are in a youth court, not an adult magistrates court.
“There are an awful lot of bodies for this young person to be confronted with when they are in the court.”
The judge cleared some members of the courtroom before the defendant entered.
The defendant entered court in a grey tracksuit, with his face covered by his jumper as he sat in the court, his hand holding it up.
The defendant appeared to smile towards the press gallery as he entered the dock.
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ITVThe charges of murder and attempted murder were read out by the court clerk, who named each victim.
The clerk named two victims of attempted murder, Leanne Lucas - who ran the yoga dance class - and John Hayes. Child victims of attempted murder cannot be named.
The judge also detailed that the alleged weapon used in the attack is a kitchen knife with a curved blade.
He will appear at the Crown Court later today, when a senior judge will make further decisions.
When a youth court cannot grant jail, it has to make determination on how he is kept before the next hearing.
The judge said that the only acceptable decision was to keep the defendant in youth detention before then.
Flowers and tributes outside the Atkinson Art Centre SouthportPAThe yoga dance class on Monday was attended by children aged six to 10, with reports of stabbing being made to police around 11.50am.
Ms Kennedy said that officers found children had been subjected to a “ferocious attack” when they arrived at the scene.
Unproven speculation about the incident combined with years of bubbling anger over the asylum system have contributed to riots across England this week.
Disorder on Tuesday evening in Southport saw over 50 officers injured as Merseyside Police called in mutual aid from local forces, including Lancashire, Greater Manchester and North Wales.
Violence erupted in Westminster, Hartlepool, Manchester and Aldershot last night as more locals took to the streets to express their anger at the stabbing attack and perceived failures by the state to prevent them.
