A dance teacher injured in the Southport attack told a public investigation if the doors were locked to the building, the outcome would have been “seriously worse”.
Leanne Lucas organized a workshop on July 29, 2024 with Taylor Swift theme in De Hart Space in Hart Street when Axel attacked Rudakubana and killed three girls.
A summary of the proof of Mrs. Lucas – who was not good enough to attend the investigation – heard that if the doors were locked up, the murderer would have “had found a way” in or outside waiting for people to leave, block outputs and catch them.
The investigation heard that fire safety legislation required the main entrance and studio doors remained unlocked because they were fire exits.
Nicholas Moss KC, chief advisor of the research in the Liverpool town hall, summarized the proof of Mrs. Lucas about how the event was planned and what health and safety procedures were.
Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice da Silva Aguiaar were murdered during the attack on July 29, 2024 [Family photos]
Mrs Lucas said in her statement: “Nothing has ever advised me to plan what to do if a workshop was attacked.”
Mr Moss described how she believed that she had tailored the “relevant documentation to guidelines”, but described how it was “all irrelevant” when she was confronted with an “unforeseen life and death situation”.
Mr. Moss said: “If [Ms Lucas] Believed that the event bore the risk of an attack, it would not have delivered the workshop. “
The entrance to the Hart Space Studio [Merseyside Police]
Earlier, Jennifer Scholes's research, who rented the Hart Space Dance Studio and subdivided to other traders to take lessons or workshops.
Mrs. Scholes, who had regularly disposed of the studio before the attack on Mrs. Lucas, fought the tears as she described her as a “beautiful person” and a “great teacher”.
The investigation heard that Mrs. Scholes had arrived in the heart room in the aftermath of the attack and discovered that Mrs. Lucas dropped on the side of a van.
When asked what had happened and if she was in order, Mrs. Lucas replied: “Someone came in and started stabbing the children, the children were stabbed.”
Mrs. Scholes appeared above Videobelang and said: “I had no problems with her behavior. She was reliable.
“She was always there on time, transparent, and I could always tell that she really loved her work and the children.”
Mrs Scholes confirmed that the Ministry of Education did not report the security of guidelines on extracurricular activities for children of locked doors, video input systems or CCTV coverage.
The investigation heard that Mrs Scholes had rented the studio in the five years before the attack, there had never been an “intruder or unwanted visitor”.
She added: “I don't think anyone could have imagined that something so terribly could have happened to every location.”
Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, Zeven and nine -year -old Alice da Silva Aguiaar, died in the attack, and ten other people – eight children and two adults, including Mrs. Lucas – were injured.
The investigation continues.
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