The older brother of the Southport attacker revealed his family "were unable to handle" of their offspring and he was concerned his younger sibling would murder a person of their household, a public inquiry has been told.
The attacker, aged 17 at the time, murdered three kids at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29, 2024.
The Southport Inquiry, conducted at Liverpool Town Hall, heard the attacker's brother the older brother warned a close contact there was a risk of his sibling "taking action deadly."
The inquiry was informed Dion told his contact over the online platform: "Arguments are terrifying because of the danger of someone dying."
The sibling said his relative reminded him of the psychopathic killer in the film the Coen brothers film.
Growing Tensions
The inquiry was told he was found to have a health issue at the age of 12 which caused him relying on a chair and his parents helping him more.
Questioned by Richard Boyle, legal representative, if that altered their dynamic he stated: "Conflict arose that came about."
The brother agreed his brother showed bitterness toward this shift.
He told the investigation that after the family moved from their previous home to their new location his relative's behavior declined and he would have "violent outbursts."
The hearing was informed Dion became "more cautious" of his brother, who would strike him often.
He said: "I had to be cautious if I tried to communicate to him because each conflict could turn into an confrontation."
'Real worries'
He testified his sibling became significantly more violent after he was expelled from Range High School in that region, in autumn 2019.
The sibling went to college in 2022 and the two communicated rarely "due to unfamiliarity with having me around."
Proceedings was made aware of a communication the brother wrote to a contact on Discord in which he said his sibling was annoyed by him having conversations after dark because of the poor insulation in their home.
He also told his associate there was a possibility of "him doing something that could kill."
He wrote: "Arguments are frightening because of the risk of someone dying."
The lawyer questioned: "You had serious fears that your brother would kill a person of your family?"
He answered: "Should situations worsen to that level."
The lawyer questioned how his parents reacted to the perpetrator's aggression.
"There was no point to try and punish him," he stated. "Also, there was a heavy risk in doing so.
"We mentioned there was a general risk to well-being in everyday talk, if you try to confront him... it would not end well."
When questioned if his mother and father had failed to manage of his relative, he agreed.
Questioned regarding his relative reminding him of a character from the film the thriller, he explained: "I've been told that character's meant to be a dangerous individual and that's why I employed that term there."
The brother said the last interaction he had with his sibling was in the summer of 2023.
He acknowledged that their family asked the attacker to bid farewell to him as he was leaving to see his companions and his relative threw a bottle at him but the entryway shut before it hit.
Proceedings ongoing.
