Axel Rudakubana seemed, on the face of it, an unthreatening figure: a quiet boy from a God-fearing family, slightly built and small for his age. He showed passion for acting – once even playing Doctor Who in a BBC Children in Need advert, wearing spectacles and an oversized trenchcoat – but friends said he lacked the confidence for the big stage.
He was on the books of a talent agency at the age of 11. But by the end of his schooling last summer he was a virtual recluse.
