Southport killer Axel Rudakubana’s jail supervision was ‘lowered earlier than officer assault’
Axel Rudakubana, 18, is accused of heating water in a kettle in his cell at HMP Belmarsh in London and pouring it over a prison officer during an incident on Thursday
Southport child killer Axel Rudakubana reportedly had his prison watch level lowered just before he’s said to have chucked boiling water at a guard in HMP Belmarsh.
The 18-year-old murderer is accused of brewing the scalding liquid in his cell kettle and lobbing it over a guard last Thursday.
The injured officer was rushed off to hospital but got sent home that same night, with plans to be back on duty next week, reports the Express.
Back in January, Rudakubana got handed a life sentence, serving at least 52 years behind bars for killing three young girls and attempting to murder eight other children, a class leader, and a businessman.
He went on a vicious stabbing spree at a Taylor Swift-themed class in Southport on July 29 last year, taking the lives of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven.
Another ten people got injured in the horrifying incident , including the class instructor Leanne Lucas and entrepreneur John Hayes.
The Sun reports Rudakubana’s surveillance status was lowered before the attack. Before this, he was held in a healthcare wing, where he was more restricted and was under constant observation.
A Prison Service spokesperson said: “Police are investigating an attack on a prison officer at HMP Belmarsh yesterday.
“Violence in prison will not be tolerated and we will always push for the strongest possible punishment for attacks on our hardworking staff.”
Mark Fairhurst, national chairman of the Prison Officers Association (POA), said: “Why are we giving people like Rudakubana the same privileges and freedoms as other inmates? It makes no sense.”
He’s adamant that risks need to be assessed properly, adding: “We have to base everything on risk and don’t give access to things with which they can attack staff.”
Fairhurst is calling for some serious prison upgrades, commenting: “We have to have super-max security units, based on the American system, for inmates like him. Prisoners like this are not going to reform or rehabilitate.”
The frequency of assaults on staff in adult prisons across England and Wales has hit a ten-year high, as per Ministry of Justice data. A staggering 10,605 attacks were logged in 2024, a significant increase from 9,204 in 2023 and almost triple the 3,640 reported in 2014.
In April, four guards at HMP Frankland were assaulted with hot oil and makeshift weapons by Manchester Arena bombing conspirator Hashem Abedi. Following the incident, the convicted terrorist was moved to Belmarsh.
Reacting to the surge in assaults, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood previously revealed plans to test tasers in prisons and confirmed an immediate review into the provision of protective body armour for officers.
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