The suspect charged with July’s attack at Hart Street will face additional charges after it was revealed he accessed an Al-Qaeda manual and ricin was found in his home.
Axel Rudakubana will appear via videolink at Westminster Magistrates Court tomorrow.
Rudakubana will be charged with one offence under the Terrorism Act after allegedly accessing a pdf entitled: “Military Studies in the Jihad Against the Tyrants: The Al-Qaeda Training Manual.”
He will also face one charge of the “production of a biological toxin, namely ricin, contrary to Section 1 of the Biological Weapons Act 1974”.
Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy stressed that ricin was not used at Hart Street and there is no risk to the public.
He has previously been charged with three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article.
In a press conference this afternoon Merseyside Police said the incident was still not being treated as a terrorist attack.
Chief Constable Serena Kennedy told journalists: “The two further offences relate to evidence obtained by Merseyside Police during searches of Axel Rudakubana’s home address as part of a lengthy and complex investigation which has been ongoing since the 29th of July.
“At this time Counter Terrorism Policing has not declared the events of the 29th of July a terrorist incident. I recognise these new charges may lead to speculation. The matter of which Axel Rudakubana has been charged under the Terrorism Act does not require motive to be established.
“For a matter to be declared as a terrorist incident, motivation would need to be established.
“Following the events of Monday 29 July, searches of Axel Rudakubana’s home resulted in an unknown substance being found. Testing confirmed the substance as ricin.
“We have worked extensively with partners to establish there was a low to very low risk to the public and I want to make that reassurance clear today.
“Today I want to reassure the communities of Southport and Merseyside that we are committed to getting justice for the families of Bebe, Elsie and Alice, the 10 victims who were injured at Hart Street and the other 16 people who were present on that day. We are also committed to being open and transparent with our communities.
“However, I am sure you will appreciate that we also need to make sure that we do not prejudice this trial. You may have seen speculation online that the police are deciding to keep information from the public. This is certainly not the case.
“We have been given extensive guidance by the Crown Prosecution Service and in relation to what we can say publicly to ensure the integrity of the court proceedings are protected. And therefore we are restricted in what we can share with you now the proceedings are live.
“My plea is be patient. Don’t engage in rumour and speculation. Don’t believe everything you read on social media. We must not lose sight of the families of Elsie, Bebe and Alice, who are still grieving, and the other families and those victims who were present at Hart Street on the 29th of July. We need to do the right thing to ensure that the justice process is not prejudiced.”