Watch: Southport dance teacher describes attack for first time
24 February 2025 8:53am GMT
A dance teacher who was knifed five times in the Southport stabbings has described the attack for the first time, saying she knew “everyone was going to die” if she did not get them out.
Leanne Lucas said she went into “pure panic mode” at her Taylor Swift-themed class in July last year and helped children run to safety despite suffering stab wounds to her spine, head, ribs, lung and shoulder blade.
Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, all died after being attacked by Axel Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time.
Last month, Rudakubana was jailed for a minimum of 52 years for their murders and the attempted murder of eight other youngsters as well as Ms Lucas and John Hayes, a businessman who intervened.