An 18-year-old who is accused of murdering three girls in Southport has appeared in court over a terror charge.
Axel Rudukabana, who appeared via videolink at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, is charged with making the toxic poison ricin and possessing a military study of an Al-Qaeda training manual.
He also faces a charge of possessing a PDF file likely to be useful in committing or preparing an act of terrorism.
Mr Rudukabana held his grey tracksuit top over the bottom half of his face and did not respond when asked to confirm his name.
A security officer with him at Belmarsh Prison, where the defendant is being held, told the court he had chosen not to speak.
Stan Reiz KC, defence lawyer, said: “Mr Rudakubana has remained silent at previous hearings as well”, adding “for reasons of his own he has chosen not to answer the question”.
Mr Rudukabana, from the village of Banks in Lancashire, has already been charged with the murders of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, after the attacks in Southport on 29 July.
He also faces charges on ten counts of attempted murder and possession of a knife after the stabbings.
Eight of the alleged attempted murders concern attacks on children who cannot be named for legal reasons, while the final two allegations concern alleged attacks on yoga teacher Leanne Lucas and another adult, John Hayes.
