Southport child killer Axel Rudakubana has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 52 years for the murders of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and the attempted murder of eight other children. The judge at Liverpool Crown Court said on Thursday afternoon that, although the law prohibited him from imposing a whole-life term because of the convicted man’s age, he considered it was likely he would never be released.
Mr Justice Goose said: “Had he been 18, I make it clear I would have been compelled to impose on him life imprisonment without a minimum term. However, the law does not permit such a sentence for those offenders who are under 18 when they offend.”
He added: “I consider at this time it’s likely he will never be released and will be in custody for all his life.”
Earlier, he said: “Many who have heard the evidence summarised by the prosecution in this hearing and have seen CCTV played with a view outside of the building might describe what he did as evil. Who would dispute it? But, at any view, it was at least the most extreme, shocking and exceptionally serious crime.”
He went on to say that Rudakubana “savagely killed” three of the children over 15 minutes. “It was such extreme violence of the utmost and exceptionally high seriousness that is difficult to comprehend why it was done,” he said.
He outlined the injuries suffered by the children. Earlier in the sentencing hearing, the court heard from prosecutors that injuries suffered by the murder victims were “difficult to explain as anything other than sadistic in nature”. A sentencing hearing at Liverpool Crown Court heard that Axel Rudakubana, 18, carried out a “pre-meditated, planned knife attack upon multiple victims, principally young girls, intending to kill them”.
The court was also told that Rudakubana said “I’m glad they’re dead” as he was held in a custody suite after killing the three girls at a Southport dance class.
Deanna Heer KC told Liverpool Crown Court: “Three children were killed, two of whom suffered particularly horrific injuries which are difficult to explain as anything other than sadistic in nature; and the defendant attempted to kill 10 others, inflicting a number of stab wounds upon them, including to their backs as they tried to escape.”
Rudakubana entered the dock at Liverpool Crown Court shortly after 11.45am. Wearing a grey tracksuit and surgical mask, he immediately sat and put his head down onto his knees. He did not respond at all when asked to confirm his name.
Dock officers were then asked if they could hear proceedings, which they replied that they could. Mr Justice Goose later ordered Rudakubana to leave the dock as he shouted repeatedly during the hearing.
Deanna Heer KC said of the attack: “He had with him a kitchen knife with a 20cm-long blade, manufactured by Apollo Cerbera. It was one of two identical knives he had purchased from Amazon on the 13th July 2024, taking steps to hide his identity when he did so by using a virtual private network (VPN), which encrypts personal data.”
More than 30 members of the victims’ families were in the public gallery of the court for the sentencing and the court heard there were others in an annexe. Rudakubana pleaded guilty to all 16 offences he faced on the first day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday.
Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, died following the attack at the Taylor Swift-themed class in 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.