Explore
Settings

Settings

×

Reading Mode

Adjust the reading mode to suit your reading needs.

Font Size

Fix the font size to suit your reading preferences

Language

Select the language of your choice. NewsX reports are available in 11 global languages.
we-woman
Advertisement · Scroll to continue

Southport Killer Sentenced to 52 Years for “Sadistic” Attack on 3 Girls

Southport killer Axel Rudakubana, an 18-year-old from Southport, has been sentenced to a minimum of 52 years in prison for the brutal murders of three young girls and the attempted murder of 10 others during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.

Advertisement · Scroll to continue
Southport Killer Sentenced to 52 Years for “Sadistic” Attack on 3 Girls

The Southport killer has been sentenced to a minimum of 52 years in prison for the brutal murders of three young girls.


Axel Rudakubana, an 18-year-old from Southport, has been sentenced to a minimum of 52 years in prison for the brutal murders of three young girls and the attempted murder of 10 others during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. The attack, described as “ferocious” and “sadistic,” has left families and a community reeling from the trauma of the horrifying incident.

Advertisement · Scroll to continue

Southport Killer Axel Rudakubana’s Violence

On July 29, 2023, Rudakubana carried out a planned knife attack at a dance studio where 26 children, aged 7 to 13, were making bracelets as part of a holiday class. Armed with two 20cm knives he had purchased online days before, he entered the room just 15 minutes before parents were due to collect their children.

The victims included six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar, all of whom were fatally stabbed. Ten others, including children and adults, sustained life-changing injuries. Prosecutors detailed how some victims suffered dozens of stab wounds in what they described as an act of extreme cruelty.

Advertisement · Scroll to continue

Chilling Aftermath and Courtroom Drama

CCTV footage shown in Liverpool Crown Court captured the chaos of the attack, with children screaming and running for safety. Police bodycam footage revealed officers finding bloodstained rooms and Rudakubana crouching over one of the young victims.

After his arrest, Rudakubana showed no remorse. He was heard saying, “I’m so glad those kids are dead … it makes me happy.” Prosecutors revealed he made multiple chilling comments about the victims, including one where he expressed satisfaction that a six-year-old girl had died.

During sentencing, Rudakubana disrupted proceedings by shouting, “My chest is hurting … I need to speak to a paramedic,” repeatedly interrupting the judge. He refused to appear in the dock as the sentence was handed down.

Southport Killer’s Sentence and Missed Warning Signs

Judge Julian Goose sentenced Rudakubana to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 52 years. Although his crimes were among the most heinous in recent UK history, a whole-life sentence was not an option as he was nine days shy of his 18th birthday at the time of the attack.

The court also heard how multiple opportunities to intervene had been missed. Rudakubana had been referred three times to the government’s anti-extremism program, Prevent, but was not deemed a threat. In 2021, he was caught with a knife on a bus but was taken home by police instead of being arrested.

In May 2022, his parents sought police help, concerned about his escalating behavior. Despite these warnings, Rudakubana was able to plan and execute his attack without intervention.

Southport Killer’s Use of Extremist Materials and Poison Production

In addition to the murders and attempted murders, Rudakubana pleaded guilty to possessing an al-Qaida training manual and producing the deadly poison ricin. Experts found that the ricin he had created was actively poisonous, although there was no evidence it had been used.

Prosecutors believe Rudakubana copied stabbing methods described in the extremist manual during his attack. He had also acquired enough castor beans to potentially produce 12,000 lethal doses of ricin.

Southport Killer’s Impact on Victims and Families

The attack has left families shattered and struggling to cope with the trauma. One mother described how “time stood still” when she arrived to collect her daughter and realized the child was still inside with the attacker. Another parent, who initially did not recognize his severely injured daughter, said the memory of the event “tortures” him and his wife daily.

Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy described the attack as “harrowing” and acknowledged that the sentencing could never erase the pain endured by the victims and their families. “These events have impacted and will continue to impact their lives every day forever,” she said.

The attack, one of the worst in recent UK history, has left a lasting mark on Southport. A public inquiry will investigate the failures that allowed Rudakubana to carry out his deadly plan, including the missed opportunities to intervene in the years leading up to the tragedy.

Filed under

Southport Killer

Advertisement · Scroll to continue

mail logo

Subscribe to receive the day's headlines from NewsX straight in your inbox