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Southport Inquiry: Killer’s Father Admits Hiding Machete, Says Police Call Could Have Prevented Attack

The father told the inquiry his failure to report a machete delivery was a grave error he believes might have averted the 2024 murders.

Overview

  • Testifying via video link, Alphonse Rudakubana said he accepted and hid a machete delivered in June 2023, feared confronting his son, and now regrets not calling police.
  • He acknowledged he may also have received a second machete in October 2023 and later accepted a July 15, 2024 Amazon parcel marked "bladed article," which he left by the door without scrutiny.
  • Rudakubana admitted withholding some information from CAMHS and accepted there was a large gap between what he knew about his son's weapons and the service’s assessment days before the attack.
  • He described stopping his son from taking a taxi to his former school a week before the killings, said he feared an arson attack, and accepted he failed to alert police despite discovering a "small arsenal" at home.
  • He said he and his wife gave their son money, including rewards for showering, while victims’ families’ counsel told the inquiry they listened to his explanations with disdain; Axel’s mother is due to give evidence later today.