Axel Rudakubana, 18, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 52 years for the brutal murder of three young girls—Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, Bebe King, 6, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7—during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport.
The attack, which occurred on July 29 last year, also left eight other children and two adults severely injured. Rudakubana pleaded guilty to the murders, attempted murders, and the production of ricin, a biological toxin.
Justice Goose ruled that the sentences will run concurrently, highlighting the lifelong impact on victims’ families and survivors. Despite his age at the time of the crimes, Rudakubana received one of the harshest penalties ever imposed on a defendant of his age.
The court revealed Rudakubana’s troubling history, including multiple referrals to the government’s ‘Prevent’ anti-extremism programme. He had researched school shootings and terror attacks in the years preceding the incident.
Witness statements, including one from class instructor Leanne Lucas, detailed the devastating physical and emotional aftermath of the attack. Justice Goose noted the profound and permanent harm caused to the victims and their families, expressing doubt that Rudakubana will ever be released.
The case has been referred for review under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
This is one nasty piece of work but what is one to expect when his father was a war lord protected against charges of genocide. Blood will out.
I wonder how much it will cost the British taxpayer to keep it in jail for the rest of his life – protected and with the best of care.
The death penalty would have been much cheaper.