British teenager Axel Rudakubana has pleaded guilty to the murder of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event last year.
Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9 were killed in the knife attack in the town of Southport in July.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, changed his pleas from not guilty to guilty on the first day of his trial.
He also pleaded guilty to ten charges of attempted murder in relation to ten other individuals who were wounded in the attack.
Stay up-to-date on the latest news with The National Briefing – keeping you in the loop with news as it hits:
Rudakubana is set to be sentenced on Thursday.
He has also pleaded guilty to the possession of a kitchen knife in a public place, and admitted to the production of a biological toxin, ricin, and possession of an al-Qaeda training manual.
In the aftermath of the attack, rioting erupted across parts of England and Northern Ireland following false reports the suspect was a recent asylum-seeker arrival.
More than 1,200 people were arrested as mosques and migrant housing were targeted by a majority of far-right activists.
Rudakubana was born in Wales.
It is still unclear what lead to the knife attack at the dance class, however defence lawyer Stanley Reiz said information relating to Rudakubana’s mental health will be presented to the judge.
Police have stated the stabbing attack has not been classified as terrorism given the motive is still unknown.
Subscribe to The Briefing, Australia’s fastest-growing news podcast on Listnr today. The Briefing serves up the latest news headlines and a deep dive into a topic affecting you. All in under 20 minutes.