Southport stabbing survivor says riots have nothing to do with atrocity

John Hayes revealed he feels lucky to be alive after he was stabbed in leg trying to defend children - with the blade narrowly missing an artery

The community paid tribute to victims of the Southport stabbing (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

A survivor of the Southport stabbing has said riots which have erupted across the country have nothing do with the atrocity.

Grandfather John Hayes, 63, has revealed he is lucky to be alive after he was stabbed in the leg as he rushed to help screaming children during the attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.

He said the blade – which penetrated his thigh by 12cm – narrowly missed his femoral artery as he confronted the alleged attacker last Monday.

“I’m hobbling around on crutches,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “My wife’s doing a stellar job of looking after me. I will get better.

“The last couple of days I have had the sort of stark realisation that I was lucky. It only narrowly missed my femoral artery and if they had caught that then I probably wouldn’t be here.

“So I’m very grateful, I think the blade went into my leg 12cm, so it’s not what I would call a superficial wound but there’s no reason why I don’t think I’ll make a full recovery.”

Elsie Dot Stancombe (left), Bebe King (top right) and Alice Dasilva Aguiar (bottom left) were killed in the incident (PA)

The businessman, whose office is in the same building as the dance class, said he has not even begun to process the horror of what he witnessed.

“It’s going to take me while to process that, so very much one day at a time,” he added.

He also revealed his delight at hearing all the children who were wounded in the attack have been discharged from Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool.

The survivor also addressed the far-right riots which have erupted in the wake of the incident – starting in Southport last week before spreading to other violent protests across the country.

He believes the unrest has little to do with the tragic stabbing, which claimed the lives of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine.

Cardiff-born Axel Rudakubana, now 18, has been charged with their murders.

Cardiff-born Axel Rudakubana, 18, has been charged with three counts of murder (Liverpool Crown Court)

Mr Hayes believes their deaths were simply the trigger for the protests which reflect an “undercurrent of discontent” around migration.

“I think Southport will be keen to distance themselves from all the trouble that has sparked riots around the country,” he said.

“I actually don’t think the troubles or the riots have got anything to do with the Southport stabbings.

“There appears to be an undercurrent of discontent for some time about the levels of immigration and this is just a catalyst or a trigger – I don’t think it’s the root cause.”

He called for politicians to address the root causes of the riots, rather than the symptoms, adding: “I think it’s going to run for a while.”