The head of a blade vendor, who supplied a “menacing” machete to the individual responsible for the Southport tragedy, had previously received a caution from law enforcement for selling knives.
During a public inquiry into the incident, Joseph Wheeler, the CEO of Knife Warehouse, asserted that the blade sold to the perpetrator was viewed as just another merchandise item. Axel Rudakubana proceeded to commit the heinous act, resulting in the deaths of three schoolgirls and injuries to multiple others.
At the age of 17, Rudakubana carried out the attack using a knife acquired from Amazon at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July of last year. It was revealed that ten months prior, he had purchased a Black Panther kukri machete with a 16.5-inch blade from Knife Warehouse.
Despite receiving a caution in 2015 for advertising knives as suitable for combat, Wheeler continued to sell lethal weapons. In a subsequent incident, Knife Warehouse supplied blades used in the fatal stabbing of Malcolm Mide-Madariola.
Malcolm lost his life when a 15-inch “zombie knife” was thrust into his heart during an altercation outside his college in Clapham, South London in 2018. The perpetrator, Tammuz Brown, was provided the knife by Treynae Campbell, who had amassed an arsenal of weapons from Knife Warehouse.
Ashraf Hussan, a County Lines drug dealer, was later sentenced to life imprisonment for fatally stabbing Peter Anderson, using a blade purchased from Wheeler’s establishment.
An extremist named Matthew King was handed a life sentence in 2023 for planning a knife attack after procuring gear from Knife Warehouse, including “tactical gloves” and goggles. King, a recent convert, plotted an assault and expressed his intent to kill while surveilling a British Army barracks in east London.
The Knife Warehouse website recently advertised promotions under the tagline “If you enjoy surprises, try a mystery box from the Knife Warehouse,” offering customers the chance to receive a random knife for either £10 or £20.
During the Southport inquiry, Sir Adrian Fulford questioned Wheeler about the machetes sold by his company, inquiring if they were solely intended for cutting vegetation.
In response, Wheeler stated his uncertainty regarding the buyers’ intentions. Sir Adrian pressed further, questioning Wheeler’s lack of curiosity about the purchasers. Wheeler admitted to his lack of interest in the matter.
The Mirror reached out to Knife Warehouse for a statement.
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