Axel Rudakubana charged with assaults on Belmarsh prison staff
The 19-year-old, serving life for Southport murders, faces four new charges at Westminster Magistrates' Court
News London evidence indexOpen analysis ▾
No independent corroboration beyond police statement and syndicated copies.
Higher is stronger
No right of reply or affected parties quoted, minimal context.
Higher is stronger
Headline overstates local relevance; Belmarsh is in London but crime is national.
Lower is better
Axel Rudakubana, who is serving a life sentence for the murders of three children in Southport, has been charged with assaulting prison staff at HMP Belmarsh. The Metropolitan Police confirmed the charges on 31 July 2025, following incidents that occurred between May and October 2025.
Rudakubana, now 19, was sentenced in 2024 to a minimum of 52 years in prison for the killings of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven. He also attempted to murder eight other children and two adults during a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on 29 July 2024.
Met Police close investigation into guillotine t-shirt image shared online
No criminal offence found in Instagram post, but case over t-shirt worn in Bristol passed to Avon and Somerset Police
Details of the charges
The Metropolitan Police stated that Rudakubana faces four charges. These include assault on an emergency worker on 6 May 2025, attempted grievous bodily harm on 8 May 2025, possession of an offensive weapon in prison on 26 June 2025, and a second assault on an emergency worker on 28 October 2025. He was formally charged on 28 July 2025.
In May 2024, it was reported that Rudakubana had poured boiling water from a kettle over a prison officer. The Ministry of Justice confirmed on 25 July 2025 that he had since been transferred to Broadmoor Hospital, a high-security psychiatric facility in Berkshire.
Man stabbed on Preston Road, Wembley near Elmstead Avenue
Police appeal for witnesses after incident on 30 July 2026 outside local shops
What happens next
Rudakubana is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court via videolink on 11 September 2025. The court will determine the next steps in the case, including whether it will proceed to a higher court for trial.
Under the Mental Health Act, prisoners can be transferred to secure psychiatric units if clinical professionals assess them as requiring treatment. Rudakubana’s transfer to Broadmoor Hospital means he will undergo compulsory treatment and therapy before any potential return to prison or release into the community.
News London Desk
This article was written at the News London news desk from the reporting of the outlets listed below it. Drafting is done by a language model under human editorial supervision — there is no reporter behind this byline, and we would rather say so than invent one.
How stories are produced and scoredWho runs News LondonCorrections
The London Ledger
A considered capital-wide edit delivered each morning.
More Coverage in Crime & Safety
Met Police close investigation into guillotine t-shirt image shared online
Man stabbed on Preston Road, Wembley near Elmstead Avenue
Met Police seize £4m cash and cocaine in Catford raid
