That picture of the Southport killer

[User09678]

That has been circulating today.

Remember that sweet boy that was in all the reports at the time? The one who looked about nine?

Can anyone think of any other serious criminal who has pictures of them as a child out in the press?

In what way is it hidden?

Tweets?

Ok.

Mugshots aren’t released until the defendant is found guilty, or pleads guilty as in this case.
Maybe he didn’t like having his photograph taken, and the ones released are in fact the only ones available at that time?

I think you mean far right.

He was referred to Prevent but did not fall under Prevent’s criteria:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jan/20/axel-rudakubana-was-referred-to-counter-extremism-scheme-three-times

One of the referrals followed concerns about Axel Rudakubana’s potential interest in the killing of children in a school massacre, it is understood.

His behaviour, including his apparent interest in violence, was assessed by Prevent as potentially concerning. But he was deemed not to be motivated by a terrorist ideology or pose a terrorist danger and was therefore not considered suitable for the counter-radicalisation scheme.

Not all mass non white mass murderers are terrorists. Seems like the referral was due to concerns how his worrying fascination with death and violence but there was no evidence of any terrorist ideology.

The murdered girls' parents were not in court because they were told that the trial was starting tomorrow.

I think there's some confusion because he was using an Al Queda manual but he wasn't interested in the ethos (hate that word in this context) he was only interested in violence and how to cause it so despite using Islamic extremist measures Islamic extremism wasn't his motivation and I think people struggle with that distinction

Who are "they"?

It's not because he's in court, it's because he's pled guilty to all charges, the trial is over and he's an adult now. So they can release the images from when he was in police custody. The police do not release images like that before a court case has reached a verdict.

The images used in the press before that were the ones that the media could find in the public domain once they had his name. Hence them being from a while ago and when he was at school.

That's really all that there is to it. There is no "they" who are trying to achieve anything with these images.

The rioters who tried to set fire to the hotel were also sweet little boys too. I don't think you're right

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jan/20/father-stopped-southport-killer-axel-rudakubana-taking-taxi-to-ex-school-days-before-attack

"Neighbours said they saw police cars outside the family home “half a dozen” times in the weeks before he attacked the Hart Space centre, 5 miles away."

How on earth did he slip through the system.

Yeah, I do

The trial was going to start tomorrow, today was pre-trial court proceedings. It was totally unexpected that he pled guilty to all charges, thus meaning that there would now not be a trial.

I agree with this - there needs to be some culpability for parents. What action was taken by them (obviously there is only so much they can do but they need to demonstrate what they did.)

Was he from a stable family? I've read some stuff....

You don't really though do you?

You're either a troll or not thinking straight and have been watching too many tiktoks

@JHound I'm aware he failed the criteria but do you not think it's a travesty that people didn't pick up the fact he was violent & dangerous even though it wasn't under the terror umbrella?

Probably nothing that could be done.

I had to google, as have only seen a photograph of the killer as a little boy where he looked very innocent.

The one I have just seen is very horror movie- like.

Similar to Patrick Mackay. Mackay looked innocent, but could flip and his photo booth pics are truly terrifying, where he is snarling and baring his teeth. {I won't link the pics}

You think Stamer runs the media? OK then. What do you think went wrong today? 🤔

What is a child who has done what he has plead guilty to, supposed to look like. 🤷‍♀️

No, I saw photos on X very early on that weren't shown until months later by the BBC.

Sad thing is sweet kids to grow up to commit hideous crimes........no one thinks their kids going to end up with a mugshot looking like Momo someday. But it happens.

They did pick up he had an obsession with death and violence hence the referrals. But it appears he had not actually done anything thay could see him imprisoned.

The Prevent referral was the best bet as it falls under a difference scheme but without any terror ideology driving it they can’t just randomly hold a teen with no just cause it appears.

I don't have TikTok

It’s the police mugshot.

I swear he’s posing for memes.