The killer of the three young girls at a dance class in Southport last summer has been jailed for 52 years at Liverpool Crown Court this afternoon
Passing sentence Mr Justice Goose said: “He will serve almost the whole of his life in custody. I consider it likely he will never be released and he will be in custody for all of his life.”
Mr Justice Goose said that had Rudakubana been 18, he “would have been impelled to impose a whole life term meaning he would never be released”.
“However, the law does not permit such a sentence for those under 18 at the time that they committed the offence”,
Rudakuban knew there was to be a Taylor Swift themed yoga and dance workshop where very young girls were to enjoy an organised party safely in an upstairs room where the organisers were to look after them.
“There were 26 children at the party, all of them happy and enjoying themselves. He targeted those children for the horrific, extreme violence he was intent upon.”
He continued: “He arrived and walked straight into the building, up the stairs to where he could hear the sound of happy children. In his mind was the intention to murder as many of them as he could.
“He wanted to carry out the murder of happy, innocent young girls. Over about 15 minutes he tried to kill three of them and attempted to kill eight more. It was extreme violence that is difficult to comprehend why it was done. I’m sure Rudakubana had a settled and determined intention to kill and would have killed all 26 children.
“Many who have heard the evidence and have seen the CCTV recordings might describe what he did as evil. Who could dispute it? On any view it was at least the most extreme, shocking and exceptionally serious crime.”
Axel Rudakubana was rumoured to have been taken to hospital in the early hours of today for medical attention but attended the sentencing refusing to speak before being ordered to leave the dock as he shouted repeatedly that he felt ill, had chest pains and needed a paramedic.
Prior to the judge announcing sentence Prosecutors said the injuries suffered by the Southport murder victims were “difficult to explain as anything other than sadistic in nature”
Rudakubana said “I’m glad they’re dead” as he was held in a custody suite after killing three girls in a knife attack at a Southport dance class
