The teenager charged with the tragic murder of three young girls in Southport was once featured as Doctor Who in a BBC Children In Need advert. Axel Rudakubana, then aged 11, appeared in the now-removed 2018 promotional video.
In the clip, he steps out of the Tardis and emulates former Doctor Who actor David Tennant by wearing a trench coat and tie. He addresses the audience with "It's that time of year again", followed by fundraising tips.
Sources indicate that Rudakubana was cast for the advert through an agency and had no direct involvement with Children In Need initiatives. Speaking to The Times, a spokesperson for BBC Children In Need issued a statement.
They said: "Our deepest sympathies go out to everyone impacted by this shocking case. We have removed the video from all of our platforms out of respect to them."
Now 17, Rudakubana, from Banks in Lancashire, faced Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday (August 1). His identity was disclosed after reporting restrictions were lifted.
Judge Andrew Menary KC ruled he would not impose reporting restrictions to keep the defendant’s identity anonymous. He said: “Continuing to prevent the full reporting has the disadvantage of allowing others to spread misinformation, in a vacuum.”
He stands accused of the murders of Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven. Rudakubana also faces charges for the attempted murder of yoga instructor Leanne Lucas, businessman John Hayes.
Rudakubana injured eight other children, whose identities are protected, along with possession of a curved-blade kitchen knife. He has been placed in youth detention and is scheduled for his next court appearance in October.
Yesterday evening (August 2) marked the third night of violence in England, amid fears of further unrest over the weekend. Wednesday night (July 31) saw over 100 demonstrators being detained on Whitehall after throwing bottles and cans at the police, with incidents of violence reported in Hartlepool, County Durham, and Manchester.
On Thursday, Sir Keir announced a new “national” response to the disorder linking police forces across the country through shared intelligence and the expanded use of facial recognition. On Friday, hundreds of people gathered in Keel Square in Sunderland, many of them draped in England flags, some of whom chanted support of Tommy Robinson, while others shouted insults about Islam.
Eight people have so far been arrested for a range of offences, including violent disorder and burglary, it added. The unrest poses the biggest challenge yet of Sir Keir’s premiership, evoking the scale of public disorder last seen during the 2011 riots.
