by Mick the Ram

At Liverpool Crown Court today (23 January), 18-year-old Axel Rudakubana was sentenced to serve a minimum of 52 years in prison for the horrific murders of three little girls in Southport in the summer of 2024.

On 29 July of last year, Bebe King (6), Elsie Dot Stancombe (7) and Alice da Silva (9) were savagely stabbed to death whilst they were attending a Taylor Swift-themed dance class at the start of their school holidays.

The killer, carrying a 20cm-long kitchen knife, also attempted to kill a further eight young girls as they desperately tried to flee the carnage, stabbing them in the back as they ran for their lives. He also seriously wounded two adults who attempted to protect the children.

While under arrest Rudakubana astonishingly told the police that he was “glad” that children had died, describing it as “a good thing”.

Then when his home was searched, a cache of weapons, including a machete, a set of arrows and a sealed box containing what was later confirmed to be ricin – a poison for which there is no cure – was found.

In his sentencing remarks the judge Mr Justice Goose said it was “such extreme violence of the upmost and exceptionally high seriousness that is difficult to comprehend why it was done”.

Rudakubana had pleaded guilty to the 16 counts he was charged with earlier in the week.

One of longest minimum-term sentences ever

Mr Justice Goose made it clear that had Rudakubana been over the age of eighteen at the time of the vicious attack (he was just a week short), he would have imposed a sentence of life imprisonment without a minimum term.

As the law prevented such a decision, he nevertheless still gave the killer one of the longest ever minimum terms ever in the UK and the likelihood is that he will never be released.

Innocent victims slaughtered

The court had heard that there were 26 girls at the class and when the killer entered the room they were laughing and having great fun, as they gathered around a table making bracelets.

There were only 15 minutes left of the class before they were due to be collected by their parents, but in that time Rudakubana slaughtered three innocent little girls in the most horrendous way, and brutally attacked ten others, including two adults.

Family members of the victims were left in tears as CCTV footage showed young girls screaming and running away from the dance studio.

Unimaginable injuries

In his summing up the judge gave some harrowing details about the three girls injuries, all receiving multiple stab wounds, with those of the youngest, six-year-old Bebe King, being the most savage and totally beyond comprehension.

She was stabbed over 120 times about her head, face, neck and arms, with the unfathomable disclosure that the killer had appeared to try to decapitate the infant.

Remarkable survival

One father of a survivor had described how he entered the building searching for his daughter and found a young girl with multiple stab injuries such that he did not recognise her, but miraculously she survived.

Even more incredibly it transpired that Rudakubana had dragged her back into the room after she had partially escaped and plunged the knife into her at least 32 times.

Hero instructor saved dozens of lives

The murderous teen had been picked up in a taxi several miles away and left the vehicle without paying and casually entered the workshop to begin his onslaught.

Leanne Lucas, one of the two instructors at the class, initially thought he had arrived early to pick up one of the girls, but then suddenly realised he was armed with a knife and in seconds felt it go into her back.

She heroically got many of the girls outside, despite receiving five life-threatening stab wounds, and also called the emergency services. She required major surgery and spent many weeks in hospital, but survived the ordeal.

Still traumatised

However, in court she read out a personal impact statement explaining how she now is unable to be anywhere on her own and can no longer work. She also refuses to allow herself any compassion or accept praise, knowing how she survived but children died.

“I know people will disagree and say that is not true however his actions have proven I can never feel that level of responsibility again where there may be dangers to others,” she said, before adding: “the trauma of being both a victim and a witness has been horrendous; there are times when I will spiral into trauma and the effect this has had on those close to me is unforgivable.”

Acts of bravery

The other instructor, Heidi Liddle saw one little girl run to the toilets and followed her in to protect her, bracing her foot against the door as the killer tried to gain entry.

Jonathan Haynes who worked in an adjacent office across the landing heard the screams and went to try and help, but was stabbed himself in a confrontation with Rudakabana, he survived after also receiving surgery.

Multiple sentences

As well as the three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder, Rudukubana also was sentenced for being in possession of a knife, and the production of a biological toxin, namely ricin, contrary to Section 1 of the Biological Weapons Act 1974.

Additionally he was found to be in possession of information, namely a pdf file entitled “Military Studies in the Jihad Against the Tyrants: The Al-Qaeda Training Manual” of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, contrary to Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000.