Southport stabbing suspect Axel Rudakubana’s terror charge was allegedly postponed for two weeks as authorities feared the news would trigger further riots.
Ministers are said to have flagged “policing issues” regarding the Southport case after the trial of Chris Kaba’s murder – which found the police officer Martyn Blake not guilty.
Kaba’s murder in 2022, caused ministers to express concerns that the case, alongside the Southport stabbings, would send a wave of issues within police forces across the nation.
Last Tuesday, Merseyside police confirmed that Rudakubana was charged with a terror offence as well as for producing the toxic chemical ricin – adding to his previous charges for murder and attempted murder after the stabbing that took place at a Taylor Swift dance class during the summer.
Axel Rudakubana appeared in courtPAThe horrific event triggered a series of violent riots across Britain, leading to over 1,200 people being arrested and almost 800 charged.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) requested permission from the attorney general’s office to charge Rudakubana with possessing a biological weapon two weeks before the charge was formally announced at the end of October, the Sunday Times was told.
To make the possession of biological weapons charge, the CPS required two Government law officers, the attorney general and solicitor general to provide consent first – which was completed a week after receipt on October 22.
The CPS was said to have prepared to announce Rudakubana’s charges on October 18 – the same time when reportedly 1,000 police officers were on standby for further rioting.
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