Southport survivor needs he’d have been ‘extra Bruce Willis’

A hero businessman who tried to disarm the Southport knifeman as he launched a frenzied attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class has admitted he wishes he had been ‘more like Bruce Willis‘.

Jonathan Hayes, 63, was stabbed in the leg after confronting the attacker, whom he likened to a ‘crouching tiger’.

The grandfather, whose office is in the same building where the holiday club dance class was taking place, said he heard screams and rushed to help after hearing one of his colleagues cry out in alarm.

When he opened the door, he locked eyes with the attacker who looked ‘pretty menacing’.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4 as he recovers from the July 29 stabbing rampage, he said: ‘I knew immediately that he shouldn’t have been there, wrong guy, wrong place, and then he came at me. 

‘I used this phrase to the policeman, I said, “I would like to have been more Bruce Willis about the whole thing”, but I wasn’t able to get the knife off him.

‘But I don’t believe he managed to hurt anybody else after, and I think in the interim period, all the children had managed to evacuate the building, apart from those that I believe, were locked in the toilet with one of the yoga teachers.’

As police officers and communities brace for more unrest today, it comes as:

Mr Hayes said he had surgery after suffering severe wounds and that he is lucky to have survived. 

He said: ‘It only narrowly missed my femoral artery, and I’ve been told if it had caught that I probably wouldn’t be here so I’m very grateful. But there’s no reason why I don’t think I will make a full recovery. I’ve not even begun to process the horror show that I’ve seen.’ 

Bebe King, six, Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, were killed in the attack.

A wave of riots have erupted across Britain since, which first started over false claims that the teenage suspect was a Muslim asylum seeker who came to the UK on a boat.

Mr Hayes said that Sir Keir Starmer’s rhetoric about using the ‘full force of the law’ to deter rioters was unhelpful.

He said: ‘I actually don’t think that the trouble on the Right has got anything at all to do with the Southport stabbings.

‘There appears to be a strong undercurrent of discontent for some time about the levels of immigration. And this is just a catalyst or a trigger, but I don’t think it’s the root cause. I do get dismayed when I hear Keir Starmer talking about [how] the police are going to come down with the full force of the law on these people.

‘But they are not actually talking about the root cause, and they need to stop listening and understanding that. They need to address the cause rather than the symptoms.’

Mr Hayes was speaking as the inquest into the deaths of Bebe, Alice and Elsie Dot got underway today. 

This morning, nine days after the killings, senior coroner Julie Goulding formally opened the inquests into their deaths at Bootle Town Hall in Merseyside.

Axel Rudakubana, 17, from Lancashire, is set to stand trial next year after being charged with three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article in a public place. 

Adjourning the inquests to allow the criminal process to take place, the coroner said: ‘It is impossible to adequately articulate the devastating, lifelong effects the truly tragic events of Monday, July 29 2024 have had, and will continue to have, on the parents, families and friends of Elsie, Bebe and Alice, who cruelly lost their young lives in such horrific circumstances.

‘The three young children were full of life and energy and will be missed beyond any description my woefully inadequate words may attempt to describe.

‘I therefore offer my deepest condolences to Elsie’s, Bebe’s and Alice’s parents, families and friends, and those heartfelt condolences of all of my staff here at the coroner’s court.’

Ms Goulding said the opening of the inquests was a ‘short, sombre, formal process’.

Opening the inquest into Elsie’s death, coroner’s officer James Martindale told the hearing: ‘On Monday July 29, shortly before 10am, a group of 26 children, including Elsie, attended a dance yoga studio at Northwood Business Park, 32-34 Hart Street, Southport, for an organised dance party.

‘At some time between 11.40am and 11.50am a male, who has now been identified as Axel Rudakubana, attended the premises and is then alleged to have started attacking those present.

‘Three children tragically died and others, children and adult, were injured, some critically,

‘Axel Rudakubana was detained at the scene and has now been charged with Elsie’s murder.’

He said Elsie’s death was pronounced at 1.53pm at 32-34 Hart Street, and she was identified by a police officer using a description of the clothing she was wearing and a recent photograph.

The same description of the incident was read for Bebe and Alice.

The hearing was told Bebe was pronounced dead at 1.03pm, outside 22-24 Hart Street, further down the street from the dance studio, and she was also identified by a police officer.

Alice was pronounced dead at 1.20am on Tuesday, July 30, at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

She was identified by her father, Sergio Aguiar.

No family members were present for the hearing, which lasted about 15 minutes and was attended by 17 members of the media.

Over the last week family, friends and members of the local community have paid their respects to the victims of the attack.

Hundreds of floral tributes have been left at the scene of the attack in Hart Street and a number of vigils have taken place in the town to remember the girls.

In a statement, Bebe’s family said: ‘No words can describe the devastation that has hit our family as we try to deal with the loss of our little girl Bebe.’

Alice’s family said: ‘Keep smiling and dancing like you love to do, our princess, like we said before to you, you’re always our princess and no one would change that. Love from Your Hero Daddy and Mummy.’

During a service at St Patrick’s Church in Southport on Tuesday afternoon hundreds gathered in memory Alice.

One speaker fought back tears as she said: ‘Alice, you are the most beautiful, strongest girl in the world and I hope you know we love you from the bottom of our hearts. Keep smiling and dancing with the girls.’

She read out another message from the family, which said: ‘We love you Alice, Your smile is extremely contagious and full of joy. You never fail to uplift everyone’s mood.’

The service, led by Father John Heneghan, featured hymns and speeches read in both English and Portuguese.

One of Alice’s classmates said: ‘You will be in our hearts forever. You are the most kindest person in the world, and we know that you are the strongest girl we have ever met.’

A member of staff from Alice’s school read out messages from her classmates, including one which said: ‘Alice, so kind and caring, with a smile so bright, forever in our hearts.’

The congregation gathered for a rendition of You Are My Sunshine outside the church following the ceremony.

Elsie’s great-aunt described her as ‘lovely, sweet and gentle’, BBC News reported.

Jean Stevenson said her grand-niece was ‘absolutely the sweetest child you could ever wish to meet’.

Merseyside Police said all three families are being supported by specialist officers.

Five other children and two adults were seriously injured in the attack at around 11.45am on July 29. The children have all since been released from hospital. 

Since the incident riots have sprung up around the country, fuelled by misinformation spread online, with around 400 people arrested in connection with the violence.

Around 100 individuals have been charged, according to director of public prosecutions Stephen Parkinson.

Speaking on Tuesday evening, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer promised communities ‘will be safe’ after a Cobra meeting and said those taking part in the unrest will ‘feel the full force of the law’.