The Southport inquiry has revealed alarming details about the actions of taxi driver Gary Poland in the aftermath of a violent attack by Axel Rudakubana. Despite witnessing children fleeing in terror and hearing gunshots, Poland chose not to call emergency services immediately. Instead, he drove away from the scene, passing police rushing to respond to the incident.
The inquiry highlighted that Poland left the scene of the attack, where Rudakubana, then 17 years old, murdered three young children and attempted to murder several others. Rather than stopping to ensure the safety of the children or alert authorities, Poland called his friend Julian Medlock to discuss what he had witnessed. He even picked up a new passenger minutes later, engaging in casual conversation about the day’s events.
When questioned, Poland admitted his failure to contact police and acknowledged that he should have acted differently. The inquiry revealed that it took him nearly an hour to inform law enforcement, providing crucial information about the killer’s identity that later aided their investigation.
Despite Poland’s delay in notifying the police, the response time was not significantly affected due to an earlier call from an injured witness. Nonetheless, Poland expressed remorse for his inaction, acknowledging the harrowing experience of the victims and their families.
Rudakubana has since been sentenced to life imprisonment for his heinous crimes. Meanwhile, the inquiry continues to examine all aspects of the incident to prevent such tragedies in the future. Sir Adrian Fulford, the inquiry’s chairman, emphasizes the importance of identifying essential changes to avoid any recurrence of such events.