Southport Yoga Teacher Recounts Heroic Efforts During Knife Attack That Claimed Three Children’s Lives

Leanne Lucas and others risked their lives to save children from a deadly attack at a Taylor Swift-themed class, leading to the perpetrator’s 52-year sentence.

Axel Rudakubana, 18, carried out a knife attack in Southport in July 2024, killing three children and injuring multiple others, including yoga teacher Leanne Lucas.
Leanne Lucas, despite suffering severe stab wounds, led several children to safety alongside her friend, dance teacher Heidi Liddle.
Fourteen-year-old survivor Sarah also helped save others, describing the attacker as looking 'possessed' and recalling the chaos of the event.
The attacker was sentenced to a minimum of 52 years in prison, one of the longest sentences for someone his age in the UK, after pleading guilty in January 2025.
The tragedy prompted calls for systemic changes, with Keir Starmer labeling it 'one of the most harrowing moments in our country’s history.'