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Southport attacker Axel Rudakubana jailed for 52 years for murder of three girls Southport attacker Axel Rudakubana jailed for 52 years for murder of three girls
(about 3 hours later)
Eighteen-year-old had pleaded guilty to murders of Alice da Silva Aguiar, Bebe King and Elsie Dot Stancombe and 10 charges of attempted murderEighteen-year-old had pleaded guilty to murders of Alice da Silva Aguiar, Bebe King and Elsie Dot Stancombe and 10 charges of attempted murder
The Southport killer Axel Rudakubana has been jailed for a minimum of 52 years for the “ferocious” and “sadistic” murders of three young girls and attempted murder of 10 others at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. The Southport killer Axel Rudakubana has been jailed for a minimum of 52 years for the “ferocious” and “sadistic” knife rampage at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.
The 18-year-old refused to appear in the dock when a judge said the teenager would likely “never be released and he will be in custody for all his life” for the “harrowing and atrocious premeditated attack” last summer. The 18-year-old refused to appear in the dock as the judge said he would probably “never be released and he will be in custody for all his life” for the “savage” murder of three young girls and attempted murder of eight others, as well as two adults who tried to save them.
The full horror of his actions was laid bare at Liverpool crown court on Thursday when it emerged that Rudakubana had boasted of his attack shortly after being arrested on 29 July last year. It can now be revealed that two years before the Southport attack, Rudakubana’s parents had called police four times in six months asking for help.
He was heard to say he was “I’m so glad those kids are dead” and that he did not care that one of the girls he killed was only six years old. Some of the children, aged seven to 13, had been stabbed dozens of times and left with life-changing injuries. On one of those occasions, he was caught carrying a blade on a bus, but officers did not detain him and instead took him home and told his mother to keep knives out of his reach.
The sentencing, where around 40 relatives of the victims had gathered, was twice loudly interrupted by the defendant pleading for medical assistance. The full horror of his 12-minute attack was laid bare at Liverpool crown court on Thursday when it emerged that some of Rudakubana’s victims had been stabbed dozens of times, many with such force it broke their bones.
“My chest is hurting … I need to speak to a paramedic,” he shouted, before interrupting the judge, Mr Justice Julian Goose, as he tried to proceed: “Don’t continue! Don’t continue! Don’t continue!” He chased some of the young girls as they fled in terror. Three girls – Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine – suffered unsurvivable injuries. The attack on two of them could only be described as “sadistic”, the prosecutor, Deanna Heer KC, told a packed courtroom.
Rudakubana could not be sentenced to a whole-life order – meaning he would never be released from prison – because he was nine days short of his 18th birthday when he carried out the attack. Sentencing Rudakubana to life with a minimum term of 52 years in prison, the judge, Mr Justice Julian Goose, said the triple killer would only be released if a Parole Board believes he is no longer a threat to the public, but he added: “It is likely he will never be released and he will be in custody for all of his life”.
Rudakubana pleaded guilty on Monday to the murder of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine. Rudakubana could not be sentenced to a whole-life order – meaning he would never be released from prison – because he was nine days short of his 18th birthday when he carried out the attack at the Hart Space in Southport on 29 July last year.
He also admitted the attempted murders of a further eight children and two adults, as well as possessing a version of an al-Qaida training manual and producing the deadly poison ricin. The teenager, who was 17 when he carried out the attack, will be almost 70 before he is considered for release.
Police believe he may have copied the stabbing methods contained in the Islamist handbook in the Southport attack. He is also believed to have used it to help make ricin. The sentencing, where about 40 relatives of the victims had gathered, was twice loudly interrupted by the defendant pleading for medical assistance. “My chest is hurting … I need to speak to a paramedic,” he shouted, before interrupting the judge as he tried to proceed: “Don’t continue! Don’t continue! Don’t continue!”
The 26 girls were gathered around a table making bracelets when Rudakubana appeared in the doorway, holding a 20cm knife, at 11.45am – just 15 minutes before the girls were due to be collected by their parents. In court, family members of the victims were in tears as the shocking attack was relayed in full. CCTV footage played in court showed young girls screaming and running from the dance studio, seconds after Rudakubana entered at 11.45am – just 15 minutes before the girls were due to be collected by their parents.
In court, family members of the victims were in tears as CCTV footage showed young girls screaming and running from the dance studio, seconds after Rudakubana entered. The 26 girls were gathered around a table making bracelets when he appeared in the doorway, hooded and holding a 20cm knife.
Prosecutor Deanna Heer KC said two of Rudakubana’s victims had “suffered particularly horrific injuries which the prosecution say are difficult to explain than anything other than sadistic in nature”.
Body-worn footage recorded by police showed the chaotic scenes as officers rushed into the bloodstained building, where Rudakubana was seen “crouching” over the body of one little girl.Body-worn footage recorded by police showed the chaotic scenes as officers rushed into the bloodstained building, where Rudakubana was seen “crouching” over the body of one little girl.
One officer is heard to say: “She’s dead” and another yelled “Jesus” as others screamed around them. Moments later, officers found one of the dance teachers, Heidi Liddle, who had locked herself in a toilet with one of the girls. They were escorted from the building, crying with fear and relief.One officer is heard to say: “She’s dead” and another yelled “Jesus” as others screamed around them. Moments later, officers found one of the dance teachers, Heidi Liddle, who had locked herself in a toilet with one of the girls. They were escorted from the building, crying with fear and relief.
In a statement read to court, the girl’s mother described how “time stood still” as she arrived to collect her to realise she was still inside with the knifeman.In a statement read to court, the girl’s mother described how “time stood still” as she arrived to collect her to realise she was still inside with the knifeman.
Terrified, she rang her grandparents screaming that her daughter was dead, only to later find her inside alive. They suffer flashbacks, she said, adding that her hair had “fallen out due to the trauma”.Terrified, she rang her grandparents screaming that her daughter was dead, only to later find her inside alive. They suffer flashbacks, she said, adding that her hair had “fallen out due to the trauma”.
Several relatives of the victims left the courtroom, some in tears, before Heer detailed the horrifying pathological evidence of their injuries, which the Guardian has chosen not to publish. Some had suffered dozens of powerfully inflicted stab wounds. Several relatives of the victims left the courtroom, some in tears, before Heer detailed the horrifying pathological evidence of their injuries, which the Guardian has chosen not to publish.
Heer said Rudakubana was taken to a police station after his arrest, where he was heard to say: “I’m so glad those kids are dead … it makes me happy.” Heer said Rudakubana had boasted of his attack shortly after being arrested, saying: “I’m so glad those kids are dead … it makes me happy.”
This was one of a number of “unsolicited comments” recorded on CCTV footage or noted down at the time, Deer said. He was also heard to say: “So happy, six-years-old. It’s a good thing they are dead, yeah” and: “I don’t care, I’m feeling neutral.” This was one of a number of “unsolicited comments” recorded on CCTV footage or noted down at the time, Heer said. He was also heard to say “So happy, six years old. It’s a good thing they are dead, yeah” and “I don’t care, I’m feeling neutral.”
Police believe he may have copied the stabbing methods he used in the Southport attack from an al-Qaida training manual he admitted possessing. He is also believed to have used it to attempt to make ricin.
A chemical weapons expert concluded that the ricin found in Rudakubana’s bedroom was actively poisonous but there is no evidence it was ever used.A chemical weapons expert concluded that the ricin found in Rudakubana’s bedroom was actively poisonous but there is no evidence it was ever used.
He had purchased enough caster beans, the ingredient used to make the toxin, to produce up to 12,000 lethal inhalations if he had completed the process of distilling it, the court was told. He had bought enough castor beans, the ingredient used to make the toxin, to produce up to 12,000 lethal inhalations, had he completed the process of distilling it, the court was told.
The mass stabbing, one of the worst attacks on children in recent UK history, was not declared as a terrorist incident because detectives found no evidence it was motivated by religion, politics or ideology.
A public inquiry will examine the missed opportunities to stop Rudakubana, who had been referred three times to Prevent, the government’s anti-extremism programme, which did not believe he posed a threat.A public inquiry will examine the missed opportunities to stop Rudakubana, who had been referred three times to Prevent, the government’s anti-extremism programme, which did not believe he posed a threat.
It can now be revealed that Rudakubana was caught with a knife on a bus two years before the Southport attack. However, instead of arresting him police took Rudakubana home and advised his mother to keep knives out of his reach. Goose accepted the prosecution’s evidence that there was no evidence of a terrorism motive but said that the debate over whether it was terrorism or not “misses the point”. “In my judgment his culpability for this level of violence is equivalent to terrorism matters, whatever the motive,” he said.
Two months later, in May 2022, his parents pleaded with police for help to cope with the teenager as his behaviour escalated again. Each time his case was referred to local safeguarding officials. The judge said some would describe the teenager’s actions as “evil” and that “on any view it was the most extreme shocking and serious crime”.
Rudakubana launched a frenzied knife attack at the Southport dance class, taking place during the first week of the school holidays, after buying two 20cm knives on Amazon days earlier. “It was such extreme violence of utmost and exceptionally high seriousness that it is difficult to comprehend why it was done,” he said, adding that Rudakubana was “determined to cause maximum suffering” and caused “profound and permanent” harm to the families and the wider Southport community.
The killer was not in court to hear the words of his victims. The parents of one girl, who suffered life-threatening injuries after being attacked twice by Rudakubana, compared the scene to “a warzone”. “Had he been able to, he would have killed each and every one of them – all 26 of them – as well as any adult who got in his way,” the judge added.
“There was a girl lying on the ground with the same clothes as his daughter but her injuries were so severe he did not recognise her,” Deer said of the girl’s father. “He had to ask this little girl if she had a brother, and what his name was. She answered.” Rudakubana’s barrister, Stanley Reiz KC, said there was little mitigation he could offer for “offences of such wickedness”.
The parents said this was “one of many, many moments that tortures both of us.” He said Rudakubana had turned at the age of 13 from a “normal well-disciplined child to someone who was capable of committing acts of such shocking and senseless violence”.
Serena Kennedy, the chief constable of Merseyside police, described Rudakubana’s actions as “ferocious” and “sadistic” attack, and added: I know that the conviction and sentencing today will not take away the distress, and trauma suffered by the victims and their families, how can it? He said the teenager exhibited a “startling lack of empathy” and had for five years struggled with “difficulties with social communication and interacting in line with his diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder”.
“These events have impacted and will continue to impact the victims and their lives every day forever.” DChI Jason Pye, the senior investigating officer at Merseyside police, said: “This was the most harrowing, large-scale investigation that our force has ever dealt with, and I want to praise the commitment, dedication, and sheer determination of the investigation team who have never had to deal with anything like this before.”