Moment Southport victim's father crosses London Marathon finish line in daughter's name
The father of a girl killed in the Southport attack was among the thousands of runners at the London Marathon on Sunday, 27 April.
David Stancombe, whose daughter Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, was murdered in the mass stabbing last summer, joined more than 56,000 participants.
Sergio Aguiar, whose daughter Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, was also killed, also completed the 26.2 miles.
The pair are raising money for projects in memory of their daughters and Bebe King, six, who was also killed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July.
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BBC News
27-05-2025
- BBC News
Southport: 'Elsie always came to school on her dad's shoulders'
The teachers of one of the girls killed in the Southport stabbings have said they remember her always smiling, and arriving at school "on her dad's shoulders".Head teachers Adrian Antell and Jennie Sephton from Farnborough Road School were describing Elsie Dot Stancombe's journey from when she arrived at the school's nursery up until the end of infants seven-year-old was one of three girls killed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the Merseyside town in July last year. The others were nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar and six-year-old Bebe Sephton, head teacher of Farnborough Road Infant School said Elsie was "a very charismatic young lady". "She often came to school sitting on her dad's shoulders, or walked through the gates with a big wave, and a big smile," said Ms added that Elsie was "very determined" and liked by her friends and all the was several months away from moving into Farnborough Road's junior school before she was killed by Axel Rudakubana, who was jailed for a minimum of 52 years, in learning would have been under the stewardship of Mr Antell, who said Elsie's classmates were still struggling with what happened."Every child is different and so they will all deal with it in different ways," he said."Sadly we will never get to know Elsie, but we have got to know her friends and have worked hard to support them." 'Positive legacy' Mr Antell added that the school had introduced different methods to support the children."We have had things like play therapy and support for individual children but that need can change on a daily basis, so what works today might not work in three months time."A charity has since been founded in memory of Elsie, called Elsie's month Mr Antell and Ms Sephton will be skydiving to raise money for the trust."Kindness shines through and we wanted to continue with a positive legacy so that Elsie would be remembered, and good things would happen to young people in this community," he said."We've got a huge two-day event planned. The children are going to come to school, and break every rule."We'll do the parachute jump, with the idea being that they break 15 rules, we raise £15,000 and then we jump from 15,000ft (4,572m)." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Scottish Sun
25-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
White House is ‘monitoring' case of Tory councillor's wife Lucy Connolly after she was jailed for racist Southport post
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE White House has said it is 'monitoring' the case of Lucy Connolly in an escalation of free speech tensions with Sir Keir Starmer. Judges threw out an appeal brought by the 42-year-old last week, meaning she will not be released before August. 3 Lucy Connolly was jailed after she urged rioters to set migrant hotels alight following the Southport riots Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk 3 Raymond Connolly has defended his wife amid the ordeal Credit: PA The wife of Conservative councillor Ray Connolly was jailed for 31 months over a racist social media post about the Southport attacks. A spokesman for the state department said: 'We can confirm that we are monitoring this matter. 'The United States supports freedom of expression at home and abroad, and remains concerned about infringements on freedom of expression.' The former childminder deleted the post after four hours, but was arrested in August and pleaded guilty to a charge of inciting racial hatred in October. Trump ally Charlie Kirk raised the matter on GB News, saying he would inform Marco Rubio the secretary of state. He said: 'I just find it so outrageous that she is now going to jail for two and a half years for a deleted social media post that she apologised for. "As you guys (the UK) have birthed free speech to the world, you are now becoming a totalitarian country.' Connolly posted the comments on her X account just hours after three girls were knifed to death in Southport, Merseyside. Connolly launched bid against her "harsh" sentence but this was thrown out by Court of Appeal judges on May 20. They ruled "there is no arguable basis on which it could be said that the sentence imposed by the judge was manifestly excessive". Dads of Southport victims run London Marathon Husband Ray said he was 'heartbroken' the appeal bid was dismissed, adding: 'My wife has paid a very high price for making a mistake and today the court has shown her no mercy'. Mr Connolly also called the decision to throw the bid out "shocking and unfair" and claimed his wife was the victim of "two-tier justice". He said: "The 284 days of separation have been very hard, particularly on our 12-year-old girl. Lucy posted one nasty tweet when she was upset and angry about three little girls who were brutally murdered in Southport. "She realised the tweet was wrong and deleted it within four hours. That did not mean Lucy was a 'far right thug' as Prime Minister Keir Starmer claimed. "My wife Lucy is a good person and not a racist. As a childminder she took care of small children of African and Asian heritage; they loved Lucy as she loved them. My wife has paid a very high price for making a mistake and today the court has shown her no mercy. "Lucy got more time in jail for one tweet than some paedophiles and domestic abusers get. I think the system wanted to make an example of Lucy so other people would be scared to say things about immigration. This is not the British way." While the Free Speech Union (FSU), which funded Connolly's appeal bid, said: "This is a deeply disappointing judgment. "No one disputes the tweet was offensive but the sentence of more than two-and-a-half years was plainly disproportionate. "Two-and-a-half years for a single tweet is grossly disproportionate and it should trouble anyone who believes the law must be applied evenly, without fear or favour."
Sky News
24-05-2025
- Sky News
Southport attack victim's teachers 'don't want her to be forgotten'
The teacher of one of the Southport stabbing victims has told Sky News they "don't want her to be forgotten", 10 months after the knife attack in which she was murdered. Seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe was killed along with Bebe King, six, and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar in an attack by Axel Rudakubana at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class last July. Jennifer Sephton, headteacher of Farnborough Road Infant School, will be skydiving to raise funds for the Elsie's Story charitable trust, which has been set up in memory of the former pupil. "She'd been with us for four years, throughout her education," Ms Sephton told Sky News, "and we just want everybody to know Elsie's spirit." Describing Elsie as "such a determined young lady," Ms Sephton said Elsie had "a real zest for life, and a sparkle in her eye all the time." She added that Elsie's Story, which has been set up by Elsie's family, is about "continuing that legacy." In the aftermath of the July 2024 attack, the gates outside Elsie's school were lined with flowers, balloons, and cards bearing her name. Since then, memorial benches and a tree have been planted in the school grounds, providing pupils and staff with a place to "remember and reflect", Ms Sefton says. "[Elsie's death] had such an impact on all our community," the teacher said, "it's had an impact on her friends, their siblings, our school as a community and our staff." 'We want her name to live on' Ms Sephton will be joined in the skydive by Adrian Antell, headteacher at the adjoining junior school where Elsie had been due to start. "Elsie was due to come to us last September," he told Sky News, "but what we've learned about her is that she had a wonderful impact in the infant school, and we don't want her to be forgotten. "We want her name to have to live on and to be thought of in a positive way." Mr Antell said they continue to support Elsie's classmates, who joined the new school without her. "There's no instruction manual for this," he explained, "every day is different, and every day is one step at a time. "So all we can do as a school is to think about individual children and support them in the best way we can."
