Rudakubana, 18, was sentenced last year to 52 years behind bars for the ‘savage’ murders of Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine
Evil Southport killer Axel Rudakubana was likened to a “sociopathic” murderer from a famous Hollywood film by his own brother during the inquiry.
Dion Rudakubana, the convicted killer’s older sibling referred to as Dion R in proceedings, said while giving evidence to the Southport Inquiry today that his brother, 18, reminded him of Anton Chugurh from ‘No Country for Old Men’. Chugurh, played by Javier Bardem, has been described as one of the most accurate on-screen portrayals of a psychopathic serial killer.
Appearing via video link from an undisclosed location earlier today, the 21-year-old said the character reminded him of his brother, and told how he feared he would kill someone two years before murdering Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. Rudakubana’s family have not attended in person and have been given permission by inquiry chair Sir Adrian Fulford to give evidence via video link, with only Sir Adrian and counsel to the inquiry and core participants able to see the family member giving evidence, as screens for anyone else in the inquiry hall appear blank.
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Dion said he was left “concerned” after watching the film, as he said his brother had reminded him of emotionless serial killer Chugurh, who killed 10 people. He told the inquiry: “That’s why it concerned me. I felt the threat to be within the home. Even then nothing had ever come of it.”
The older Rudakubana also told the inquiry the killer was prone to violent outbursts when he was younger, and that they had gotten worse after he was expelled from school in October 2019. Outbursts, he said, typically took place as they travelled to school together in the car, with his behaviour dubbed “unpredictable and inconsistent”.
Any disagreement, he added while giving evidence, could “escalate into an argument”. The inquiry was provided messages from Dion that highlighted his fears his brother could do “something potentially fatal”. The message, sent by Dion to a friend when he returned home during his first year at university in 2022, read: “The risk of [Axel] doing something potentially fatal is the major concern.”
In another message, he says there is a “danger of someone dying” during their fights. The message adds: “My brother doesn’t really show mercy so my dad just has to try not to die. We hide knives to mitigate that factor.”
Dion also told the inquiry there were “various events” where his family “had to call the police out”. Richard Boyle, counsel to the inquiry, asked Dion whether he had “serious fears that your brother would kill a member of your family?” He responded: “If things escalated to that point.”
Those fears had dogged Dion for years, he added, telling the inquiry that he remembered “being scared before going to university”. Dion said he last interacted with his brother in the summer of 2023, when Axel was asked by his parents to say goodbye, but responded by throwing a metal bottle at him.
Rudakubana’s parents, Alphonse Rudakubana and Laetitia Muzayire are due to give evidence to the inquiry later in the week. The inquiry is due to resume tomorrow, with the first phase due to be completed by the end of the week.
Rudakubana, 18, was sentenced earlier this year to a minimum of 52 years behind bars for the murders of the three young girls during a knife rampage. He was told he would “never be released and he will be in custody for all his life” for the “savage” murders.
