Southport killer Axel Rudakubana, 18, was taken to hospital in the early hours of today for medical attention but is now due to attend court to be sentenced, sources said. The exact nature of the apparent incident has not yet been made clear.
The 18-year-old pleaded guilty to all 16 offences he faced on the first day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday. It included murdering three girls at a Taylor Swift-inspired dance class. Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, died following the attack at The Hart Space on a small business park in the seaside town shortly before midday on July 29.
The defendant, who was 17 at the time of the killings, admitted their murders as well as the attempted murders of eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.
Rudakubana is not expected to receive a whole-life order because he was 17 at the time of the attack and the measures can normally only be imposed on criminals aged 21 or over. They are usually only considered for those aged 18 to 20 in exceptional circumstances.