Axel Rudakubana Sentenced for Southport Murders
Axel Rudakubana, 18, receives sentencing for the murders of three girls and attempted murders of others during a tragic attack in Southport.
Posted on Jan 23, 2025
More
Southport killer Axel Rudakubana is set to learn his fate for the murders of three girls in a horrific attack. The tragic events unfolded on July 29 last year during a Taylor Swift-themed dance party at The Hart Space in Southport, Merseyside.
Rudakubana, 18, has pleaded guilty to killing six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar. In addition, he admitted to the attempted murder of eight other children and two adults, Leanne Lucas and Jonathan Hayes. His guilty pleas were submitted on January 20, the first day of a four-week trial.
On January 23, Rudakubana received medical attention early in the morning but arrived in court an hour late. He made several outbursts claiming he was in pain and demanding a paramedic, leading to his eviction from the dock. A family member was heard shouting “coward” as he left.
Rudakubana, who was just short of his 18th birthday at the time of the attack, is not expected to receive a whole-life order as the law typically allows such measures only for those aged 21 or over. His further charges include possessing a knife bought from Amazon and producing the biological toxin ricin.
Sentencing is expected to begin at Liverpool Crown Court from 11am.
Follow live updates from court in our live blog, which will load below.
Sentencing remarks will also be shown live, which you can watch here:
Key Events
16:25 - Rudakubana sentenced to a minimum of 52 years in prison.
For the three counts of murder, he received a 52-year minimum term, less the 175 days already served. He was sentenced to a minimum of 18 years for each of the eight counts of attempted murder against unnamed children, with sentences running concurrently. For the attempted murder of Leanne Lucas and Jonathan Hayes, he received minimum sentences of 16 years, also concurrent. Additionally, he was sentenced to 18 months for the remaining charges related to the toxin and terrorism, again running concurrently.
In total, Rudakubana must serve 51 years and 190 days before being eligible for parole. Mr Justice Goose indicated it is 'highly likely' he will never be released.
16:20 - Judge expresses concern over potential use of ricin.
Mr Justice Goose emphasized that he believed Rudakubana would have used the ricin he acquired eventually, noting his age proximity to 18 at the time of the attack influenced sentencing possibilities.
16:09 - Judge describes the defendant's intent.
Mr Justice Goose remarked that Rudakubana targeted children for "horrific and extreme violence." He indicated a desire to commit mass murder, stating that the attack was "difficult to comprehend," and that the defendant returned to stab his victims multiple times.
16:00 - Defence barrister comments on avoiding trial ordeal.
Mr Reiz highlighted the distinction in law related to Rudakubana's age and noted that the defendant spared his victims the ordeal of a trial.
15:58 - Judge confirms no whole life order can be imposed.
Mr Justice Goose clarified that a whole life order is not permissible due to Rudakubana's age during the incident, with the defence indicating issues of communication stemming from a diagnosis of autism.
15:52 - Survivors' statements reveal trauma.
Parents of a surviving girl recounted their daughter's horrific injuries and trauma during the attack. Another mother narrated the chaos she encountered upon arriving to pick up her daughter after the attack.
15:36 - Survivor's mother reflects on the tragedy.
A surviving child's mother expressed profound guilt for leaving her daughter in harm's way, while another child testified to the fear felt during the attack, believing it might have been a prank initially.
15:02 - Leanne Lucas shares her lasting impact.
Leanne Lucas described her ongoing struggle with trust and safety in her daily life post-attack, detailing how the experience has profoundly affected her sense of security and well-being.
