The 18-year-old accused of killing three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport has admitted the attack on the first day of his trial.
Axel Rudakubana, of Banks, Lancashire, had been due to stand trial at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday charged with 16 offences, including three counts of murder.
Three girls died at a Taylor Swift-themed class in The Hart Space on a small business park in the seaside town shortly before midday on July 29 last year.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the lives of the victims.
Alice was described as ‘a peacemaker of the playground’ (Merseyside Police/PA)
Alice da Silva Aguiar, aged nine:
Alice, who grew up in a Portuguese household, was dedicated to dance.
She was pictured eagerly waiting to get into the Taylor Swift-themed event on the day she was killed.
The animal lover enjoyed shutting the curtains and watching Disney Plus with popcorn, her parents said.
Her father Sergio and mother Alexandra, said Alice was “our perfect dream child, everything was idyllic from the moment you arrived”.
Their tribute continued: “A good girl, with strong values and kind nature. A lover of animals and an environmentalist in the making. You moved our world with your confidence and empathy. Playful energetic, friendly, and always so respectful.
“A peacemaker of the playground. No shouting is a house rule you applied. A big task for a small girl, especially in a Portuguese household.
“You were taken away from us too soon and we often ask why? Why here? Why us? Why you? We wonder if you ever thought of us. Called for us. We wondered if you felt any pain. We hope not my darling.
“For now, our beloved Angel, keep dancing, mummy and daddy will always, always love you.”
Bebe will ‘forever be our shimmering star’, her parents said (Merseyside Police/PA)
Bebe King, aged six:
Bebe’s parents described her as a “sweet, kind, and spirited girl”.
A statement from Lauren and Ben King said: “Our beloved Bebe, only six-years-old, was full of joy, light, and love, and she will always remain in our hearts as the sweet, kind, and spirited girl we adore.”
They added: “Our hearts are broken, but we find some comfort in knowing that Bebe was so deeply loved by all who knew her.
“She will forever be our shimmering star, and we will carry her with us in everything we do.”
Bebe’s parents also said their older daughter, Genie, witnessed the attack and managed to escape, praising her “incredible strength and courage”.
Elsie was ‘truly unforgettable’ (Merseyside Police/PA)
Elsie Dot Stancombe, aged seven:
At her funeral last summer, Elsie Dot Stancombe was described as “a little girl who loved a big party”.
Her coffin, topped with a blue cuddly toy, was carried up a pink carpet as members of her cheerleading squad, Vortex Cheer, formed a guard of honour.
Taylor Swift’s Love Story, one of her favourite songs, was performed at the end of the service, which was also attended by the family dog Bobby.
Elsie’s family has described her as having the “ability to light up any room that she entered”.
In a statement released before her funeral, they said: “Elsie embraced life and it is with positivity, hope and love that we celebrate her life today on ‘Elsie’s Special Day’.
“Elsie spent every day just simply enjoying life with determination, persistence, love and kindness.
“Elsie was an amazing little girl. She was truly unforgettable.”
Eight other children:
The other children injured in the attack cannot be named for legal reasons.
The final girl injured was released from hospital on August 8 last year.
Her family thanked the ambulance crews that were “crucial in airlifting her from the scene to the hospital” and said “we know that their intervention saved her life”.
John Hayes, 63:
The businessman was stabbed in the leg while trying to disarm Rudakubana, but also escaped with his life.
He told ITV News how he ran from his office to help when he realised people were injured.
“I didn’t even realise I’d been stabbed initially, until I looked down and saw blood coming out my leg and I tried to kick him with my right leg and then that’s when I fell over,” he said.
Mr Hayes, who is married, said he was taken on a stretcher to a road which had become a “makeshift holding area” and was in “quite a lot of pain”.
Asked if he felt he was a hero, he replied: “I’m not going sit here and tell you that I was brave about the whole thing and confronting a knifeman, that’s not the story at all.
King Charles viewing flowers and tributes outside the Atkinson Art Centre, Southport (Owen Humphreys/PA)
Leanne Lucas,35:
The yoga class instructor suffered serious stab wounds while trying to protect two girls, but survived the attack.
She told LBC Radio: “My purpose was creating wellbeing events for children and families, and for that to happen where I was, and for the words I spoke and the children spoke, for that to be trampled over has just really dampened all of our spirits, feeling unsafe, feeling like we just lost faith in the world really.
“I’m not too sure how we’ll ever move on, apart from use the girl’s memories as a driving force to change things for other people in the future, so this doesn’t have to happen to them again.
“Hopefully people will be hearing a lot more from me in the future, after everything’s happened and things are finished, I’m hoping my voice will get louder and louder and people will join me in that.”