LIVERPOOL:
An 18-year-old, Axel Rudakubana, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Thursday for the brutal murders of three young girls during a stabbing rampage at a summer dance class.
Judge Julian Goose, presiding at Liverpool Crown Court, stated, “It is likely he will never be released,” adding that Rudakubana must serve at least 52 years for his acts of “extreme violence.”
The attack in Southport claimed the lives of Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9. Rudakubana also admitted to attempting to murder eight other children and two adults during the incident, which took place at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July last year.
In addition to the murder charges, he pleaded guilty to possessing a knife, producing the biological toxin ricin, and possessing an Al-Qaeda training manual.
Judge Goose highlighted the “profound and permanent harm” Rudakubana’s actions caused to the victims’ families and the wider community.
