Lauren Hirst
BBC News, Merseyside
Roger Johnson
Host, BBC Northwest tonight
PCSO TIM PARRY, Sgt. Greg Gillespie and PC Luke Holden (left to right) were the first officers on the scene
Warning: This article contains frustrating and frustrating details.
“The only thing we know when we showed up was that there was a child stabbed on the floor of Hart Street and the criminal was in the building.”
Sergeant Greg Gillespie, who prepared for the July 29, 2024 incident, claimed the lives of three young girls.
Reports of his stabbing in a Southport dance studio have arrived in an ever-evolving horror film.
“I remember people waving me on the road,” he said.
“I could just see the fear and horror on the faces of the people there, and get out of the car and hear them screaming and shouting.”
Sergeant Gillespie said he saw a little girl and he thought she was dead.
Despite being stabbed 30 times, she managed to survive.
He added: “I don’t think there is any training or experience to prepare you or handle something like that.”
Family Handout
Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice Aguiar were killed in the attack
PC Luke Holden arrived shortly afterwards with PCSO Timothy Parry, and he said he remembered hearing words from colleagues on the radio.
“The way he spoke, confirmed the address and scene he was facing…I could hear Greg's voice a little scary.”
Sgt. Gillespie said he decided they had to deal with everything that was happening in the building.
“We just know that what's right is that we can't wait for the armed reaction,” he said.
“We don’t know where they are [but] That's urgent.
“Now everyone knows the order of events that happened that day – we didn’t know it at the time.”
All they know is that a child was stabbed and “the criminal was in the building,” he said.
PC Holden vividly remembers what happened next.
“Greg looked at me and said 'Are you ready?'”
He said he answered with a simple “yes” and the two entered the building “shoulder and shoulder to shoulder.”
“Incredible”
Almost immediately, they faced with 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, who was overwhelmed by the officials and walked into the studio and attacked the children who enjoyed the school holidays in Taylor Swift themed studio.
Sergeant Gillespie said: “He showed us the knife and put it in front of us, stained with blood.”
“Almost like he was saying, 'I have a knife, what are you going to do?'”
Sergeant Gillespie said the young man's attitude seemed to change, as if he didn't want to know when he saw the officer “not afraid of him.”
Sergeant Sgt Gillespie added: “It's hard for me to portray him as more of a coward than he already is.”
PA Media
Attacks on Hart Street radiated shock waves around the world
Alice Aguiar, nine, six, six-year-old Bebe King and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe were killed in the attack, while eight other children and two adults were seriously injured.
The 17-year-old man responsible for the deaths and injuries was sentenced to life imprisonment, with at least 52 years of killing.
The horror of the day inevitably left an indelible mark on the town, but its residents united and decided not to let atrocities define their house.
Sgt. Gillespie said he was excited by the response.
“The community is brought together primarily due to the actions of the victim’s parents,” he said.
“It’s incredible to think of something like this happening to a child as a father and then get up the next morning and try to keep going.
“But three groups of parents did not only do that…they continued the legacy of their daughter’s name and brought the community together.”
PA Media
After the attack, Southport United Community
The three officers were recognized at the England Police Federation and the Wales 2025 Heroic Awards for their actions that day.
They said the attack changed them.
“It will affect you in ways you can't imagine,” said PC Holden.
“My high maintenance volume grew by 1,000%, and in every case I was on my guard.
“You start thinking about dealing with the worst case scenario in each situation.”
PCSO Parry said it was “very difficult” to get back to normal life, adding that trying to do activities with your own children and seeing activities from others who are similar to the victim’s age “was difficult for me”.
“Obviously, it’s nothing compared to what the families involved have to go through, but it’s a little challenging.”
Sgt. Gillespie said the incident on July 29 last year was “the most difficult experience of my life and I don't care about my career.”
However, he added that compared to the killing and injured children’s families, “our pain and pain are the smallest drop in the largest ocean compared to their pain.”
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