The father of the Southport attacker did not open the delivery of a machete, ordered by his son, despite knowing it was a knife because he was “scared”.
The inquiry heard that, in June 2023, a machete was delivered to the family home and that Alphonse Rudakubana knew the package contained the weapon because it was heavy and “in the shape of a knife”.
But when Nicholas Moss KC, counsel to the inquiry, asked why he didn’t open it, the father said “It wasn’t my property”, adding he was “scared of it”.
He asked: “So why, having intercepted the package, seeing that it was a knife or a bladed item, AR has specifically asked for it, he hasn’t reacted violently to it, why didn’t you open to check what on Earth it was that your son was actually buying?”
Mr Rudakubana responded: “I knew it was a knife already, I didn’t want to see it and had I opened it it would have been good because it would have led me to call the police because he would have done something bad.”
Axel Rudakubana carried out the Southport attack on July 29 2024.
His father has said he regrets not telling the police about the machete and said the Southport attack “wouldn’t have happened” if he had made the report.
He said: “That is an instance I regret so much, I should have called the police.
“I regret that I didn’t tell the police because if I did, the 29th wouldn’t have happened.
“They would have come and checked everything in his room.”
He believes that by him not taking any action it “ encouraged him to order more things.”
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