'I felt like something was going to happen'

KILLER'S FORMER HEADTEACHER TELLS INQUIRY OF HIS 'SINISTER AND UNPREDICTABLE' MANNER

- by DAN HAYGARTH

THE former headteacher of Southport attacker Axel Rudakubana said she felt his behaviour was “building up to something”.

Rudakubana attended the Acorns School a pupil referral unit for those aged 11 to 16 - from October 2019, after his permanent exclusion from the Range High School in Formby.

It came after he called Childline and admitted carrying knives on 10 occasions and said he was willing to “stab someone” because he was “tired of being pushed around”.

Rudakubana had displayed troubling behaviour at the school in Formby, calling the Manchester Arena bombing a “good battle” and making comments like “that’s why teachers get murdered”.

But there was a “rapid escalation” during the early weeks of Year 9 and he had a fight with a boy he alleged was bullying him during an English class on October 7.

Later that night, David Cregeen, head of safeguarding at the school, received an email from Police Constable Alex McNamee, of Lancashire Constabulary, who said that Rudakubana had called Childline and admitted repeatedly carrying a knife.