🔴 ‘Incel’ teen obsessed with Southport killings admits terror offence
Teen terror suspect idolised Southport killer, researched copycat attacks on Taylor Swift events, stockpiled knives and extremist manuals before arrest.
A teenager obsessed with the Southport mass stabbing has admitted a terrorism offence after plotting a copycat attack linked to a Taylor Swift-themed event.
The 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named because of his age, pleaded guilty at Liverpool Crown Court to possession of documents useful for terrorism, after downloading and storing a collection of extremist and mass-casualty manuals.
The court heard the youth had become fixated on the July 2024 Southport killings carried out by Axel Rudakubana and researched potential copycat attacks, including events associated with Taylor Swift, on the anniversary of the atrocity.
He saw Axel — whose online activity revealed a fascination with controlling and dominating women, as well as with grievance-based violence — as a model.
Both offenders showed an interest in violent attacks, including downloading a ‘jihadi’ instructional manual linked to al-Qaeda terrorism.
Prosecutors said the case was being treated as one of grievance-based violence and copycat fixation, rather than terrorism driven by a political or religious ideology.
The court heard the teenager had downloaded a number of prohibited documents between January and May last year, including instructions for making ricin, the Improvised Munitions Handbook, the Anarchist Cookbook 2000 and the al-Qaeda Training Manual.
Although the offence carries a maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment for an adult, the Crown made clear it was not alleging the teenager had a terrorist ideology, nor that he had taken steps amounting to the preparation of a terrorist attack.
Authorities first became aware on August 6 last year, when the teenager rang 999 from the bathroom of his grandparents’ home and told the operator he had intended to carry out a copycat attack on the anniversary of the Southport incident. He said he was “captivated” by the idea of violence but had not carried out an attack because there were no nearby events suitable for him to target. Police attended the address and arrested him shortly afterwards.
Police attended the address and arrested him. Examination of his Samsung mobile phone revealed encrypted notes containing poetry praising Rudakubana, along with references to incel ideology and online subcultures associated with grievance-based violence.
Investigators found the youth had visited Southport, around 15 miles from his home in Kirkby, and taken photographs of the town. He had also searched online for Taylor Swift-themed events and other potential targets on July 29 — the anniversary of the killings.
Like Rudakubana, he acquired a green hooded top similar to that worn during the Southport attack and assembled a collection of knives, which were later recovered from his grandparents’ kitchen.
A separate charge of making threats to kill was not pursued.
The teenager, now 17, appeared in the dock dressed in black with a shaved head. He was remanded in youth detention after Judge Neil Flewitt KC ordered the preparation of a pre-sentence report and requested a psychiatric assessment ahead of sentencing later this year.
The court was previously told the boy is believed to be autistic and had been under the care of child and adolescent mental health services, known as CAMHS. He was also known to social services.
Judge Flewitt warned the defendant it was “highly likely” he would remain in custody for a significant period.
Rudakubana was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 52 years for murdering three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport and seriously injuring 10 others.
The case is the latest to highlight concerns among counter-terrorism officers of online subcultures in shaping grievance based violent ideation among vulnerable adolescents.
