Axel Rudakubana has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 52 years for the murder of three girls in Southport last summer.
Rudakubana, of Banks, Lancashire, was sentenced in court today after pleading guilty to the murder of three young girls, aged between six and nine, on Monday.
Justice Goose said the 18-year-old’s sentences will run concurrently, meaning they will be served at same time. The judge concluded that it is highly likely Rudakubana will never be released.
Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, died in the attack at the Taylor Swift-themed class in The Hart Space on a small business park in the seaside town shortly before midday on July 29.
The defendant, 18, admitted their murders as well as the attempted murder of eight other children, class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.
He also admitted to the production of a biological toxin, ricin, on or before July 29 and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism.
Ricin, a deadly poison, and the document were found during searches of the home on Old School Close which he shared with his parents, who are originally from Rwanda.
The terrorism offence relates to a PDF file entitled Military Studies In The Jihad Against The Tyrants, The Al Qaeda Training Manual which he possessed between August 29, 2021 and July 30, 2024.
Rudakubana was not handed a whole life order as he was 17 years old at the time of the attacks.
During the proceedings today it emerged Rudakubana had been referred to the Government anti-extremism scheme Prevent three times before the murders in July.
In November 2019, a referral was made because the defendant had been researching school shootings during an information technology class. In February 2021, a referral was made following reports that he had uploaded to Instagram two images of Colonel Gadaffi. In April 2021, a referral was made because he had been found researching the London Bridge terror attack.
During the sentencing, the court was shown CCTV of the moments leading up to the horror stabbing….
