Teenager appears in court charged in connection with Southport knife attack
He's been remanded to appear at crown court this afternoon
Last updated 1st Aug 2024
A teenager has appeared in court in Liverpool, charged in connection with the Southport knife attack.
The 17-year-old - who we can't name for legal reasons - appeared before Liverpool Youth Court charged with three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article.
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 - with five of them in a critical condition - while two adults were also critically hurt.
The boy was charged with the attempted murder of two adults, yoga class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes, as well as the attempted murder of the eight children who cannot be named for legal reasons.
He was remanded into youth detention accommodation and will appear at Liverpool Crown Court later on Thursday.
The defendant came to court at about 9am in a prison van with a large police escort of vans and cars.
Around 20 members of the press packed into court 3.6, a youth court, before District Judge James Hatton sitting at Liverpool Magistrates' Court.
The teenager was brought into court at 10.21am, wearing a baggy grey tracksuit and black slippers.
He looked at the row of reporters sat behind the glass dock and smiled before he was asked to sit down.
The teenager 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.
The hearing dealt largely with administrative legal matters ahead of his appearance before another judge later on Thursday.
None of the families of either the victims or defendant were in court for the brief hearing.
Judge Hatton told the defendant he would be remanded to youth detention ahead of his appearance at Liverpool Crown Court, in the same building, later on Thursday before Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC.
He said: "You will appear at crown court sitting at Liverpool later on today before a more senior judge who will make further direction and determinations in this case."