Southport Killer Axel Rudakabana to be sentenced later

A teenager who murdered three little girls in a knife attack in Southport will be sentenced today.

Six-year-old Bebe King, Elsie dot Stancombe who was seven and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar were killed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class back in the summer.

The 18-year-old accused of killing three girls in a "meticulously planned rampage" at a dance class in Southport pleaded guilty to the attack on the first day of his trial.

Axel Rudakubana, of Banks, Lancashire, was to stand trial at Liverpool Crown Court this week charged with 16 offences, including three counts of murder.

Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, died following 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, who was 17 at the time of the attack, admitted their murders as well as the attempted murders of eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.

Prosecutors described the defendant as a "young man with a sickening and sustained interest in death and violence", saying the attack left an "enduring mark on our community and the nation for its savagery and senselessness".

It has now emerged that he was referred to the government anti-extremism scheme Prevent three times before the murders, amid concerns over his fixation with violence.

Summer riots which saw violence across the country were sparked by the stabbings carried out by Rudakubana.

Rudakubana is not expected to receive a whole life order because he was 17 at the time of the murders - the measures can normally only be imposed on criminals aged 21 or over, and are usually only considered for those aged 18 to 20 in exceptional circumstances.

He also pleaded guilty to possession of a knife.

Rudakubana, who was born in Cardiff, also admitted 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.

The terrorism offence relates to a PDF file entitled Military Studies In The Jihad Against The Tyrants, The Al Qaeda Training Manual which he is said to have possessed between August 29 2021 and July 30 2024.

The ricin, a deadly poison, and the document were found during searches of the home in Old School Close which he shared with his parents, who are originally from Rwanda.

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