Southport wants to be remembered for its community response - not the attacks or the riots
Plus: Jake Berry tells us loud and clear what type of politician he is
Hello and welcome to The Lancashire Lead.
This week we write about the trial after the death of three girls in Southport, in an attack carried out by a young man living in Lancashire.
There has been much to think about in the aftermath of Axel Rudakubana pleading guilty. It’s undeniable that some politicians are using the opportunity to score points. It’s also clear that the public inquiry called by Yvette Cooper is necessary.
But being lost in the conversation is how people in Southport - those most affected - are coping, feeling and responding to what happened.
Jamie Lopez has written about this before and, as a reporter who lives in Southport, has done again today.
I’ve also taken the time to write some words on one of the more egregious examples of nonsense spouted by a politician - and a former MP in Lancashire - over the last few days.
Thank you for reading.
“Southport will never be the same after the devastating attack at the heart of our community and the loss of three of our town's daughters.”
By Jamie Lopez
In the run up to Monday, when a trial was due to be held over the killings of three young girls and attempted killings of eight more and two adults, a sense of dread filled many in Southport.
The trial would bring up everything that happened on July 29, only with more harrowing details pushed into the public consciousness on a daily basis over a number of weeks. While it’s right that these things are reported, for those who want to avoid them it can be extremely difficult to see them seemingly take over TV channels, radio broadcasts and social media feeds.
As MP Patrick Hurley said this week, Southport ‘will never be the same’. Those living here would rather be associated not with the UK’s most deadly attack since the Dunblane massacre and not with the shameful riots which followed, but instead with the community response which included a hugely attended vigil, street clean ups and repairs, fundraisers and support events.
That doesn’t mean forgetting what happened that day, but instead finding a way to honour and pay tribute to the victims without being defined by it.
In the days leading up, workplaces sent emails to staff both offering support and warning of the importance of not discussing the case publicly, while people offered support and solidarity in WhatsApp messages and Facebook posts.
Ultimately, the trauma felt by Southport residents who either knew of those involved or just found it too close to home to comprehend pales into insignificance compared to families of Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice Da Silva Aguiar.
It was they who would be forced to relive their worst nightmare in a court during a trial most people could scarcely believe was happening. In forcing that trial, Axel Rudakubana was inflicting yet more pain on people whose lives had already been torn apart in unimaginable circumstances.
When those guilty pleas were issued on Monday - along with guilty pleas to production of a biological toxin and possessing a terrorist handbook - the need for that trial ended.
Those guilty please don’t undo the suffering caused. Or prevent the fact that those linked to the attack have to live with a lifetime of loss and pain but they have taken away one additional layer of trauma.
A spokesperson for Child Bereavement UK, a charity that supports bereaved families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies, told The Lancashire Lead: “When someone dies by homicide, the emotional impact of the sudden, violent loss is enormous for the family, friends and the wider community.
“Media attention and formal processes can add an extra layer of distress and complexity to what is already a devastating situation and can delay opportunities for people to grieve.
“Grief is a lifelong experience and bereavement support from an experienced professional who can support the family in a way that feels right for them can help during this very difficult time and as they continue to face the future without their precious child. “
Across the town, many felt a sense of relief that the spotlight would move away and that those involved - the victims, the families, those nearby who responded heroically, the emergency workers - would not have to go through the ordeal of a trial.
Among those expressing a desire for the focus to be on the victims and not the killer is Adam Phillips who runs a local football league and whose daughter lost a friend in the attack. Through the Hightown JFL, he plans to help raise funds towards the Elsie’s Story charity.
He told The Lancashire Lead: “Whilst no justice will ever be enough, today has meant that the families don’t have to relive that day again in the midst of a full trial.
“Those impacted have remained quiet and dignified out of respect, in order to maintain the integrity of the trial and secure a safe prosecution. It has been incredibly difficult to read various conspiracy theories online which felt like the real victims had at times been forgotten.
“What has been abundantly clear throughout is that this evil person has thrived from the notoriety and attention he has gained throughout this process. I will therefore not give him the satisfaction of even using his name.
“The biggest punishment for him would be knowing that he has faded into insignificance, whilst the world is united remembering the three beautiful girls who are a perfect representation of a society we should all strive to live in.”
Among the heroes to respond that day, one man who sheltered several of the fleeing children in his home explained why he was glad the trial would no longer go ahead.
Speaking to ITV News, he was asked for his reaction to the guilty pleas and said: “Relief that he’s pleaded guilty for the fact that the families don’t have to go to court and go through it day after day after day to hear what we already knew that he was guilty. It was him. It wasn’t anybody else.
“He’s left devastation to them poor kids’ families. That’s never going to be put right. It doesn’t matter how long they put him in prison for. They are going to suffer for the rest of their lives.
“They’re the people I feel sorry for.”
Explaining the lasting effects of what he witnessed, Steve said he wakes up screaming as a result of seeing the children in his sleep but says is comforted by cards which were given to him by those kids.
He also refused to consider himself a hero, insisting he only did what anyone else would have. He added: “My heart goes out to the three families who lost their children on that day. I just hope things get better for them somehow. How, I don’t know but somehow I just hope things go well for them.
“Hopefully now for me, I can put a lid on it. But they haven’t got that option.”
For Hurley, who had been elected just weeks before the attack took place, the guilty pleas are a “step closer to justice”.
He said: “There will be no celebrations or jubilation today, but today marks a milestone along the way as our town begins to recover.
“Southport will never be the same after the devastating attack at the heart of our community and the loss of three of our town's daughters. I am very grateful that the culprit will now face justice after Thursday's sentencing hearing for the murder of those three young girls and the attempted murder of ten others.
“This horrific attack has left scars on our community, but it is in times like these that we must come together to support the families who have endured an unimaginable loss. I have been humbled by the strength and unity of our town. I have been proud to see the best of our community in the past six months, organising vigils, laying flowers, and rebuilding our town after the riots that followed the attack, and I know that we can continue to heal and support each other after today's hearing.
“More widely, questions need to be answered about how and why the killer was able to launch the attack, when his behaviour and interests were evidently cause for concern for law enforcement over a long period. I strongly support measures to get to the bottom of how the state failed so catastrophically.
“Today, most of all, is a day we remember the victims and the devastating consequences for the families of those affected. We will always remember the children, the adults who protected them, and all of those affected by this horrific attack.”
Family pay tributes to man, 43, following discovery of body (Lancashire Telegraph)
Plasterer who obtained £50k in fraud loan used it on gambling and fantasy football (LancsLive)
Storm Éowyn expected to bring very strong winds to Preston (Blog Preston)
Council objects to controversial quarry plan (BBC)
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Thank you for taking the time to read The Lancashire Lead this week.
We chose to focus on Southport this week - despite it not falling into Lancashire in a local government sense - because we felt that there was a gap in telling the story of people who actually live there.
We hope you enjoy the rest of your week, we’ll speak to you again soon.
Jake Berry shows his right(wing) arse cheek to the world
By Luke Beardsworth
Jake Berry is a man with a law degree. He’s worked as a solicitor.
So when he loaded up X on Monday at 10.35am to post about the date of the Southport trial, we can safely conclude his post was not made from a position of ignorance.
Let’s begin with the fact that Berry offered zero evidence whatsoever that the government had interfered directly in the timing of the trial - alleged to be on a particular date to ‘bury bad news’.
Not even the tiniest shred of proof was brought forward to support the idea that anyone other than the courts themselves had been involved in setting the court date.
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