Southport killer Axel Rudakubana refused to speak in court and was not planning to put forward a case in his defence at trial.
The 18-year-old spoke for the first time during the legal process on Monday, when he changed his pleas to admit 16 offences including the murders of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club on July 29.
He had not put forward a defence case statement and lawyers were not planning to advance a positive case on his behalf at trial, an earlier hearing was told.
Rudakubana first appeared in court on August 1, days after the attack, and did not speak.
As he entered the glass dock at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court, he smiled at reporters sitting behind him before pulling his sweatshirt over his face and keeping his head low.
Later that day, he appeared at Liverpool Crown Court where he covered his whole face with his jumper and rocked back and forth and side to side during the hearing, which lasted almost an hour.
On October 30, Rudakubana appeared before magistrates in Westminster charged with two further offences – production of a biological toxin, ricin, and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism.
Appearing by video-link from HMP Belmarsh, the defendant, with his sweater covering the bottom half of his face, did not respond when asked to confirm his name.
Stan Reiz KC, defending, said: “Mr Rudakubana has remained silent at previous hearings as well.
“For reasons of his own, he has chosen not to answer the question.”
At Liverpool Crown Court on November 13, his face was covered again and he did not answer when asked to confirm his name.
Addressing the defence lawyer, Mr Justice Goose said: “He has spoken to you, Mr Reiz, and I know he has spoken to others who have interviewed him for the purpose of proceedings?”
Mr Reiz replied: “That’s right.”
Mr Justice Goose added: “He’s choosing not to say anything for the moment?”
Mr Reiz replied: “He is.”
At the same court on December 18, Rudakubana remained silent when asked to enter pleas to the 16 offences he faced.
Mr Justice Goose said he was satisfied the defendant was refusing to reply and not-guilty pleas were entered on his behalf.
Mr Reiz told the court there was no defence case statement, no positive case was being advanced on Rudakubana’s behalf and no expert evidence, psychiatric or otherwise, would be called.
He said he would carry out his professional duty to put the prosecution to proof, meaning he intended to say nothing in his client’s defence and require the prosecution to prove their case to a criminal standard.
After entering the dock on Monday, Rudakubana remained seated when twice asked to stand.
Wearing a grey tracksuit and with a surgical mask covering his face, he failed to respond when asked to confirm his name.
He nodded when Mr Reiz approached the dock to briefly speak to him.
As each of the 16 counts was put to Rudakubana, he replied: “Guilty.”
He then lowered his head to his knees for much of the duration of the hearing.
