Southport killer Axel Rudakubana has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 52 years for the “sadistic” murders of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.
The 18-year-old admitted killing Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9 in a knife attack last July.
He also attempted to murder eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.
Rudakubana was sentenced in his absence at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday after indicating he would be “disruptive” if he was made to appear in court.
The judge said Rudakubana would not be given a whole-life order because he was 17 when he carried out the attack, but that he was likely to spend the rest of his life in prison.
Mr Justice Goose said it was Rudakubana’s aim to “carry out mass murder of innocent, happy young girls” and that he would have killed all 26 children present if he had the opportunity.
He said he “must accept” there was no evidence he acted for a terrorist cause, but added Rudakubana’s actions were the “equivalent” of terrorist murders.
“It was such extreme violence…it is difficult to comprehend why it was done.”
‘Act of a coward’
Elsie’s mother Jenny Stancombe described Rudakubana as “cruel and pure evil” and said his attack was the “act of a coward”.
In her statement, read to the court by prosecutor Deanna Heer KC, she said: “The nature of your actions is beyond contempt.
“You deliberately chose that place, fully aware that there would be no parents present, fully aware that those girls were vulnerable and unable to protect themselves.
Alice’s parents said: “Our dream girl has been taken away in such a horrible, undeserving way that it shattered our souls.”
In a separate statement read out in court afterwards, Alexandra and Sergio Aguiar said their daughter Alice’s death had “shattered our souls”.
They said: “In a matter of minutes our worlds were shattered and turned upside down by the devastating attack on our Alice.”
Sentence sparks calls for law change
The Southport killer’s record-high 52-year sentence will be reviewed amid criticism it was not long enough after mounting calls for law changes to see child criminals like him die in jail.
Because Rudakubana carried out the crimes just nine days short of his 18th birthday, it means by law he cannot be sentenced to a whole life order which means he would never be released from jail.
The sentence prompted Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch among others to call for a change in the law that would give judges “discretion” to award whole life sentences to those under 18.