Taxi driver ‘regrets’ not helping victims

The taxi driver who dropped off the Southport killer on the dance class the place he murdered three kids has informed a public inquiry he regretted not calling police sooner.Gary Poland, who didn’t telephone police till 50 minutes after the assault, informed the Southport Inquiry he drove away in a panic.The inquiry at Liverpool City Corridor was informed he had believed loud bangs he had heard moments after dropping off Axel Rudakubana had been “gunshots”.By way of video-link Mr Poland, who heard screaming and whose automobile dashcam confirmed women working from the venue, mentioned: “I ought to have known as the police earlier. In hindsight I want I had achieved and it is one thing I take into consideration day-after-day.”Alice Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Bebe King, six, had been killed within the assault, and eight different women and two adults had been additionally injured.The inquiry heard that after the attacker refused to pay for the taxi, Mr Poland noticed him go into the Hart Area after which heard the loud bangs.”It was terrifying,” he mentioned. “You had been fearful and in a state of shock. I simply thought somebody was taking pictures.”He mentioned he then went into “panic mode.”Mr Poland additionally heard the victims screaming. He mentioned: “I ought to have known as the police earlier. In hindsight I want I had achieved and it is one thing I take into consideration day-after-day. “I did what I did due to concern, shock and panic. These are human feelings which I couldn’t management.”Nicholas Moss KC, counsel to the inquiry, mentioned in his assertion to police Mr Poland described seeing “a massed huddle of youngsters stumble and run in a panicked hurry”.The assertion described the ladies “screaming… it was like a stampede for his or her lives”.Mr Moss additionally mentioned dashcam footage from Mr Poland’s taxi reveals the ladies working alongside his automobile, and confirmed him trying within the rear view mirror. In his assertion to the inquiry, Mr Poland mentioned he didn’t know the youngsters had been injured.Mr Moss requested Mr Poland if he accepted that he ought to have stopped on Hart Avenue as quickly as he was out of hurt’s method, and known as the police. Mr Poland replied: “Yeah.”Mr Moss additionally mentioned a transcript of the telephone name he made to his pal had him speaking about his perception that the attacker had a gun, however didn’t present him expressing any concern for the ladies. Mr Moss requested him if it was honest or unfair that the aim of the decision was “guess what simply occurred to me”. Mr Poland replied: “Unfair.”Earlier Mr Poland had mentioned: “I can not sleep at evening. I shut my eyes, I see his [the attacker ‘s] face. He’s simply there on a regular basis in my head.”The inquiry continues.