The Trial: The Southport Dance School

Daily Mail
The Trial: The Southport Dance School

The Trial goes behind the headlines of some of the biggest trials in the world. We take you into the courtroom, bringing you the detail as the evidence unfolds, examining key moments and carrying out exclusive interviews with detectives, victims, and experts. Follow us on X @thetrialpodcast Contact us at thetrial@mailmetromedia.co.uk Leave a comment on Spotify or even send us a voice note on WhatsApp - +447796657512 (start your message with 'Trial') A Daily Mail Production. Seriously Popular.

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  1. EPISODE 1

    1: The Dance School Murders

    Axel Rudakubana has admitted carrying out the attacks on a Southport dance school which claimed the lives of three little girls. Six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar were killed when he went on the rampage with a kitchen knife, as they and other children made friendship bracelets.  Today as the families of the girls braced themselves for a trial, he changed his pleas to guilty. Caroline and Liz will outline what we now know about what happened on that day, but also in the days, weeks, months and years before. How police believe he planned to attack pupils at his previous school, and how he was referred to the Government’s Prevent programme years before. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    26 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    2: They Were Failed

    Today, Caroline and Liz start to discuss the fallout from the horrific attack on children in Southport. How Axel Rudakubama was able to murder and attack children when school, the police, social services, mental health workers and even the Government’s Prevent Programme knew about his obsession with violence. Among others asking questions today is the Prime Minister Keir Starmer who said what Axel Rudakubama did that day was terrorism. We’ll bring you his words. Caroline and Liz also chat to barrister and former MP, Lord Alex Carlile about the case, the public inquiry which will now take place, and whether the laws on terrorism need to change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    42 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    3: The Mug Shot

    Today, Caroline and Liz continue to discuss the fallout from Axel Rudakaban’s guilty pleas. They also chat to criminologist Professor David Wilson about the case, who explains his theories about Rudakubana and why he might have been driven to kill and why that police mug shot may have been part of his plan to become notorious.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    34 min

  4. EPISODE 4

    4: 52 Years

    In this episode, Caroline and Liz bring you the moment Axel Rudakubana was sentenced to at least 52 years in prison. In all likelihood he will never be released. The judge said he murdered three of the girls he attacked, but he would have killed more if they hadn’t run for their lives - he wanted to carry out mass murder. In the terrifying attack which lasted for 12 minutes he stabbed child after child hundreds of times inflicting utterly horrific injuries. Then he gloated to the police and said he was glad they were dead.  It’s now become clear that Axel Rudakubana was in contact with Lancashire Police on several occasions and 2 years before he attacked the girls in Southport he was caught carrying a knife on a bus, but he was taken home instead of being arrested. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    27 min

  5. EPISODE 5

    5: The Victims

    In today’s episode Caroline and Liz reflect on the fallout from the harrowing details of what was revealed at yesterday’s court hearing as Axel Rukakubana was sentenced to 52 years in prison. They’ll have the words of the parents of the three girls who died, and the other victims who survived, including a 14 year old girl who addressed the court herself. They’ll also have more on what went wrong to allow the attack to ever happen in the first place and how questions are also now being asked about the tech companies who didn’t give the police access to some of the material on his computer because the incident wasn’t classed as terrorism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    41 min

  6. SEASON 8 TRAILER

    The Trial: The Southport Dance School

    Last summer, like thousands of children during the school holidays, three little girls in Southport in the North of England joined their friends to attend a dance school. But six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar never came home. They were brutally attacked when a knifeman went on the rampage. Many others were stabbed and injured that day but Bebe, Elsie and Alice lost their lives. The man accused of their murders is 18 year old Axel Rudakubana. He goes on trial next week. Caroline and Liz will be covering the case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    3 min
See All Season 8 (6)

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The Trial goes behind the headlines of some of the biggest trials in the world. We take you into the courtroom, bringing you the detail as the evidence unfolds, examining key moments and carrying out exclusive interviews with detectives, victims, and experts. Follow us on X @thetrialpodcast Contact us at thetrial@mailmetromedia.co.uk Leave a comment on Spotify or even send us a voice note on WhatsApp - +447796657512 (start your message with 'Trial') A Daily Mail Production. Seriously Popular.

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