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Once again, here is the Guardian’s report on today’s events from my colleague Josh Halliday, who was also present in court.
Updated
Merseyside police have issued a statement from the Senior Investigating Officer of the investigation, detective chief inspector Jason Pye. He said:
Although no outcome at court could possibly ease the pain and trauma of their families, I hope that knowing Rudakubana will now spend a considerable amount of time in prison will bring them some comfort.
His sustained and ruthless attack took away the lives of three beautiful little girls, Bebe, Elsie and Alice, and the thoughts of everyone at Merseyside Police remain with their families. Our thoughts are also with the young girls who suffered serious injuries, and all of those who were traumatised by what they saw on that morning.
He said the attack had also impacted on the community of Southport and “has been felt across the country”.
This was the most harrowing, large-scale investigation that our force has ever dealt with and I want to praise the commitment, dedication, and sheer determination of the investigation team who have never had to deal with anything like this before.
Having committed the most heinous of crimes, Rudakubana then tried at various points of the process to frustrate justice, by remaining silent and resisting co-operation.
That he chose to plead guilty on the first day of trial at least spared the families and all those affected a trial that they had until that moment feared would compound their grief and distress further.
Even today, he had to be removed from the dock after repeated attempts to disrupt the sentencing hearing by shouting as the prosecution tried to lay out the details of his awful crimes.
I am pleased to see that – thanks to the determination of everyone involved in the legal process – all his efforts to frustrate the process were in vain and he has now faced justice for his terrible actions.
He said he wanted to take the opportunity to publicly thank all the first responders who went to the scene that day and were “confronted with unimaginable horrors”.
Officers went into the building to detain the suspect, emergency services tended to the wounded and members of the public bravely assisted with efforts to help those inside. All will no doubt still be affected by what they witnessed for the rest of their lives.
I would also like to thank the investigation team for their steadfast determination to painstakingly go through every piece of evidence recovered in this investigation to make sure we were able to present the CPS with a comprehensive file of evidence to ensure that justice was done for the victims and their families. I think I can speak for the whole team when I say that this is probably the most harrowing case we have collectively worked on and our thoughts for the family have helped to keep us grounded and focussed despite the traumatic nature of what we were all dealing with.
I want to thank counter terrorism policing for their unwavering support and advice and the CPS for their support and guidance to ensure we could get justice for Bebe, Elsie and Alice, the injured girls and adults and those who were traumatised by what they saw in the room that day, but miraculously managed to escape.
He added:
Finally, although Rudakubana has been sentenced to prison today, the pain felt by those families will continue for the rest of their lives and I want to pay tribute to Bebe, Elsie and Alice, who will never be forgotten.
Their families, and those of all the children and adults affected, have behaved with incredible dignity and courage since that dreadful day, and our thoughts are with them today and always.
Watch as the High Court judge Mr Justice Goose reads out the sentences he has handed down to Rudakubana for each of the charges, which include 13 life sentences.
They will run concurrently, meaning he will serve a minimum prison term of 52 years and will not be eligible for parole until he is at least 70 years old.
Updated
Statements from some of those who worked on the case, such as the police and CPS, and some of the victims would normally be read outside the court building. It is usually an opportunity to respond to the sentence that has been passed and thank the victims and those who worked on the case for their hard work.
However, these statements today have been moved or cancelled, which appears to be due to disruption from a small number of far-right activists outside Liverpool crown court.
The detective who led the investigation into the Southport atrocity said he would have been “happy” for it to be declared as terrorism as it would have given officers more time to investigate the killings.
DCI Jason Pye said the question of whether Axel Rudakubana’s attack was terrorism had been “assessed on an almost daily basis”.
Here is a Guardian video report on the sentencing, featuring CCTV footage shown to the court of Rudakubana travelling to commit the attack.
It is not a graphic video but please be aware it shows clips of the seconds leading up to the murders.
Some more statements from the victims’ families. The children were given letters so they could be referenced without publicly identifying them.
From the family of Child O:
We are glad that the guilty plea was announced to stop the anguish for all the families. We are looking forward to justice being done. We would like to thank the emergency services and all the other organisations and individuals that have offered support and kindness throughout this tragic time.
From the family of Child P:
The sights and sounds that day were so traumatic to all, the families, the neighbours, the services and of course our children. This will forever be with us and our thoughts will remain with the families of Alice, Bebe and Elsie who although our daughter didn’t know, now thinks and prays for them often.
From the family of Child Q:
Although the horrific events will always stay with us, we now hope to be able to move forward as a family to enjoy happier times. We would like to like to thank everyone for the love and support we have received during this difficult time.
From the family of Child U:
Horrific incidents like this should unite society and not cause a divide amongst them, and remind everyone that there is more good than bad in the world.
From the family of Children V and W, who are siblings:
Following the horrific events at the Hart Space on July 29th, the bravery and strength that our two daughters have shown has kept us going, in stark contrast to the cowardice displayed by Axel Rudakubana.
We will continue to support and guide them through their psychological recovery, love them unconditionally and continue to grow stronger as a family.
We welcome the public enquiry and wish to understand how the failings that have been discovered will be addressed.
From the family of Child X:
Whilst I’m glad we haven’t had to sit through the pain of a trial and reliving that awful day, what happened that day will stay with us forever. We’d like to thank everyone who has helped and supported those of us effected by the tragedy.
The family of another child seriously injured, who survived the attack, said:
First and foremost, we would like to send our love, thoughts and condolences to the families and loved ones of Alice, Bebe, Elsie Dot and indeed the rest of the families forever touched by the attack on the 29th of July 2024.
We recognise that we are extremely fortunate to have our little princess with us, and we are immensely proud of her and the bravery, courage, and resilience she has shown, both on the day of the attack and since, as she takes the first steps on the long road to recovery.
We would like to thank all the emergency services involved with all the victims and families on the day, with special thanks reserved for the police officer who personally took vigilant care of our daughter, the air ambulance team, and hospital staff who continue to support and contribute to the care of the girls.
We would also like to thank the residents of Hart Street, in particular the two families who gave our daughter shelter in their homes, in the immediate aftermath of this unprecedented and hideous attack. Your kindness and compassion will never be forgotten.
We welcome the guilty verdict but also realise this is only the first step on the road to justice. We welcome the public inquiry and believe that true justice can only be achieved by preventing anything like this from happening again. We ask for privacy and respect, as we focus on repairing the harm caused, this incident will not define us as a family, and we are confident our daughter will continue to grow in strength as we rebuild our lives.
Updated
Statements responding to the sentence have been released by some of the families of the victims.
The family of two siblings injured in the attack said:
Today our family welcome the sentence imposed on that monster, however nothing will ever reverse the heartbreaking events of that day. Our children have been exposed to scenes that no one should ever see and caused unimaginable pain and heartache for us all. Alice, Bebe, Elsie and their families remain in our thoughts always.
We would like to thank Merseyside Police and the CPS for bringing justice and for the emergency services who attended the scene and medical staff who treated our girls with such compassion. We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the public for all of their support and well wishes since that tragic day.
For now, we need time to reflect and process the events of the past few months and ask for privacy during this time. We will come forwards and speak when we feel ready.
The children’s charity, the NSPCC has issued a statement following the sentencing from Chris Sherwood, its chief executive.
During the hearing, the court heard how Rudakubana, then aged 15, had contacted councillors at its help centre for children, Childline, confessing that he was taking a knife to school. The charity contacted the police.
The Southport attack was devastating for the local community and the country as a whole. Our thoughts remain with all those impacted by this appalling act of violence, and in particular with the families of the three little girls who so tragically lost their lives.
Now the court case has concluded it is vital the public inquiry moves forward quickly to uncover exactly what happened and why. There are many difficult questions that need to be addressed so that everything possible is done to prevent something so terrible and heartbreaking from happening again.
The NSPCC stands ready to support in any way we can. Childline is also here around the clock, both online and over the phone, for any child or young person across the UK who is struggling to process what happened in Southport and the aftermath.
What happens next?
On Monday, ahead of the sentencing, the prime minister said a public inquiry would be held into the attack. Ordering the inquiry, Keir Starmer said the country had “failed in its duty” to protect the children who became victims.
It followed revelations in the Guardian that Rudakubana had previously been referred three times to Prevent, the government’s anti-radicalisation scheme.
The government will appoint a chair of the inquiry, who will begin gathering evidence.
Now that the investigation is concluded, inquests will also be held into the deaths of the three girls. These are public hearings, which will be reported on by the media, which aim to understand the circumstances around a death, usually including whether there was an opportunity to prevent it.
Rudakubana is also entitled to appeal the sentence handed out today, if his lawyers can find a legal argument as to why his sentence was too harsh.
There is also an avenue for the victims to appeal if they think the sentence was too lenient.
Merseyside police has asked members of the public not to share social media posts detailing the injuries the children suffered at the hands of Rudakubana.
We are aware of social media posts online detailing the injuries sustained by the girls who died and those injured in the attack in Southport on 29 July 2024.
— Merseyside Police (@MerseyPolice) January 23, 2025
The families of the little girls specifically asked that those details not be reported.
The families of Bebe, Alice and… pic.twitter.com/KlP3Lu2oyW
Here is the Guardian’s full report on the sentencing, written by our north of England editor Josh Halliday, who is in court and has covered this case from the day the attack happened.
Updated
The Crown Prosecution Service said the victims had shown “tremendous dignity and composure in the face of unbelievable horror”.
Sarah Hammond, chief crown prosecutor of CPS Mersey-Cheshire, said:
Many of our cases have tragedy, difficulty and trauma, but this case is one of the most harrowing that I, as the Chief Crown Prosecutor for this area, have ever come across.
Three beautiful girls - Elsie Dot Stancombe, Bebe King, and Alice da Silva Aguiar lost their lives on a day that should have been filled with happiness. When Rudakubana entered the room, they were singing and making friendship bracelets.
Axel Rudakubana is a murderer, and displayed unrelenting savagery as he carried out a meticulously planned rampage of murder and violence. His purpose was to kill and he targeted the youngest, most vulnerable, no doubt in order to spread the greatest level of fear and outrage, which he did.
Though he pleaded guilty to the charges, she said Rudakubana “has never expressed any remorse, only cowardice in his refusal to face the families whose lives he has forever changed”.
This has been an extremely difficult case for the prosecution team. They have had to work through some harrowing footage and evidence. I would like to thank them for their perseverance and determination to achieve justice for the victims and their families.
This sentencing brings to an end this case, but the events of that day will leave a tragic legacy that will unfortunately endure for many years.
After the terror, the heartache and the unending grief – they shared their pain. The families at the heart of this horror, who suffered in silence while hell unfurled around them, sat quietly together in the public gallery as the killer in the dock howled and cried for a paramedic.
A 14-year-old girl, who went to the Taylor Swift dance class in Southport with her younger sister, addressed an empty dock after the attacker was removed from court for a second time.
The sentences break down as:
Counts 1-3, the murder charges: 52 years
Counts 4-11, some of the attempted murder charges: 18 years
Counts 12 and 13, the other attempted murder charges: 16 years
Count 14-16, the knife, production of ricin and terror manual charges: 18 months
The charges from counts 4 to 16 are to be served concurrently, which gives a custodial sentence of 52 years.
He will be 70 years old before he is eligible for parole.
Updated
Southport killer Axel Rudakubana sentenced to minimum of 52 years for murder of three girls at a dance class in 2024
He is given 52 years.
Mr Justice Goose adds: “It is highly likely that he will never be released.”
Updated
Beyond his autism, Rudakubana had not shown any associated learning disabilities.
The guilty pleas allow a reduction in his sentence, though only small because it came at such a late moment.
He is a “dangerous offender”, the judge says, adding further sentences for the other charges.
Considering the sentence, Mr Justice Goose is not allowed to hand him a whole life order, which he would have done if he was 18 at the time of the attack.
He said he plans to hand down a sentence that means he will spend almost all of his life in prison and it will be for a parole board to decide whether he is ever safe to be released.
From a starting point of 27 years for the murders, he has taken into account the other charges, the young age of the girls and the “substantial” premeditation and planning.
He said Rudakubana had shown a lack of remorse but “lack of remorse is not an aggravating factor.”
Mr Justice Goose said the statements read in court were “deeply moving” and that the damage caused to the victims was “profound and permanent”.
The comments he made after he was arrested were “deeply disturbing”.
The judge talks about the evidence found in Rudakubana’s house. “I am satisfied for some time he had planned to kill as many people as he could.”
He said he believed if Rudakubana had not managed to carry out the attack he would have used the ricin.
The attack, he said, was “equivalent” of a terror attack, even though it did not legally fit the definition of terrorism because it did not have a political, religious, racial or ideological cause. Whether his motivation was terrorism “misses the point”.
Mr Justice Goose said Rudakubana was “determined to disrupt the proceedings so he did not have to face the victims” of his crimes.
He begins to explain the facts of the case.
He said Rudakubana attended the Taylor Swift dance class to inflict “horrific, extreme violence” on the children there.
“In his mind was the intention to murder as many of them as he physically could. He wanted to try and carry out mass murder of innocent, happy young girls and over about 15 minutes he savagely killed three of them and attempted to kill eight more.”
He described it as “extreme violence of the utmost and exceptionally high seriousness that is difficult to comprehend”.
He said he believed had Rudakubana been able to, “he would have killed each and every child”.
He then begins to outline in detail the horrendous injuries inflicted during his sickening attack on the little girls.
Updated
Rudakubana has decided not to come up from the cells to be sentenced.
The judge said he will proceed in his absence.
Rudakubana’s barrister Stanley Reiz KC is presenting mitigating factors, which he admits are limited.
“There is very little that the defendant has done that can be said could be to his credit,” he says.
One mitigating factor, he said, was seeking help via Childline at the age of 15, though he did this anonymously.
Another one is his age. Reiz says he also “lacked maturity for his age”. Examples of this were the “candor” about his “deviant thoughts” that he told to police and school staff about wanting to kill people.
These demonstrated a “level of maturity that fell far beyond his chronological age of 15 and demonstrated a startling lack of empathy”.
His behaviour is “childlike” and that he rebels when he is asked to do something.
He points to Rudakubana yelling out in the courtroom earlier in the day, and said a normal 18-year old would “realise he would not succeed in controlling anything with his petulant behaviour”.
Reiz says due to his age, there is a “prospect of rehabilitation” and “there still exists at least the possibility… that he will recognise the gravity of what he has done”.
He asks for the shortest minimum term the judge feels able to hand down.
The mitigation is extremely short.
A reminder that there are reporting restrictions in place to protect the identities of the surviving children.
Their names, ages and other identifying details – such as their parents’ names – cannot be published.
The mother of the girl who was saved by the dance teacher Heidi Liddle, who hid the girl in the toilet, said she arrived at the scene and for 20 minutes believed her daughter had been killed.
She was making a phone call to her parents telling them their granddaughter had been killed when she turned around to find her standing there with Liddle.
“I owe everything to Heidi for having the foresight to protect my daughter,” she said.
The parents of two girls who were attacked are the next to give their personal impact statements, which are read by the prosecutor.
They say both their daughters suffered “horrendous” injuries. They had used to joke about one of their daughters being a “wild child” but that “her whole demeanour has changed, she has a complete lack of confidence”.
“As a parent, to watch your child’s confidence disappear overnight is heartbreaking.”
Both of their children are badly scarred – one of them with “life-changing injuries” and they have cried over their appearance and cannot comprehend why it has happened to them.
They struggle with simple tasks and cannot sleep alone. The parents have been hugely impacted financially because they have been unable to work due to their daughters needing to be collected from school, as “we would receive phone calls on a daily basis from the teachers about how they were too anxious to carry on with lessons”.
They say: “[The girls] are worried that this man will walk the streets again. This is something they constantly speak about, and it petrifies them.”
A statement from another girl is being read.
She said she thought it was a prank until she saw the blood coming from her. “I had so much blood coming out of me and I was trying to scream but I was struggling to scream.”
She was taken to hospital with severe injuries and needed to have her spleen removed. She believed she was going to die.
She says: “I didn’t want to tell my mum at first what I had seen as I didn’t want her to worry, and if I died, I wanted her to live her life without her knowing about it so I told the trauma nurse.”
She says she has nightmares two or three times a week and feels guilty about what happened to the other girls.
“What has happened to me is on my mind everyday, I go over what happened and I feel sad and generally scared.”
The second part of the statement is written by her mother, who describes being outside while her daughter fled the scene and how she “slumped forward and started turning yellow”.
Her daughter “said she was struggling to breathe and she didn’t want to die” her mother reported.
She says: “I’ve really struggled with getting back to normal life. I constantly think something bad will happen to my children. I’m on edge, I dream about people running up to the car with a knife, or turning up at my front door with a knife.”
Her youngest daughter also witnessed the aftermath of the attack and, though she is young, she is showing signs of being affected.
The parents of one of the girls have described in a statement read by the prosecutor that on the day of the attack they heard their daughter had been grabbed in the doorway by the attacker as she tried to escape.
The child’s father said it was like a “warzone”.
“I know he is completely traumatised by what he experienced that day. He is broken by it.”
There was a girl lying on the ground with the same clothes as his daughter but her injuries were so severe he did not recognise her. “He had to ask this little girl if she had a brother, and what his name was. She answered.”
They said: “This is one of many, many moments that tortures both of us.”
Her parents were told she may not survive and that they knew they were “minutes away” from losing her. Her mother said details of her daughter’s injuries would “haunt me forever” and that the little girl had asked if she was going to die.
They said: “She remembers not being able to breathe, lying on the floor at the bottom of the stairs. Somehow she knew she needed to find help.
“Staggeringly she stood up. With over thirty stab wounds to her tiny little body and she walked out of that building herself. He left her for dead in a lifeless pool of blood at the bottom of the stairs and she stood up, at seven years old, and saved herself.”
They talk about how brave their daughter as been, how proud they are of her and how she has fought to get her life back.
They add that Rudakubana has “completely failed to destroy her spirit, her amazing sense of humour, her fierceness and her pure, beautiful heart.”
The prosecutor is now reading a statement by Heidi Liddle, one of the dance teachers at the Hart Space, who was not physically injured but suffered enormous trauma.
She struggled with everyday activities and says: “I replayed the incident over and over in my mind, changing the sequence of events so that myself and the little girl I was with in the toilet, were stabbed and killed.”
She says she will “see the most horrific things in my mind” and that she feels guilty for surviving the attack. “I thought that I would get the blame from the public or the parents of the children blaming me for their child being seriously hurt or killed.”
She says: “I hated going to sleep, every time I closed my eyes I saw the girls inside the room at Hart Space. I had night terrors, and my mind would overthink everything and everytime I closed my eyes, I pictured him. I had learnt to deal with the imaginary killer who was coming for me.
“If ever I had to speak about the incident I would have a panic attack in which I would gasp for air.”
In a statement, Bebe King’s family say they were “robbed of the opportunity to protect our girls”.
They did not talk about their beloved daughter as they did not think Rudakubana deserved to know about her.
Speaking to the judge, they said: “He took our daughter, her life and her future and everything she could have been.”
They said there was “no greater pain” than losing their daughter, and refer to the sentence they expect the judge to hand down but it cannot be read out as per the rules of the court.
They say “We hope he uses his time in prison to reflect on the gravity of what he has done.”
Though they have “little faith” he will ever demonstrate remorse though “perhaps he will have the opportunity to contemplate the fear and terror he inflicted on those girls”.
Updated
Some statements will not be heard in court because the victims did not want them read out, however, the judge has read all the statements before the hearing.
The prosecutor is now reading a statement written by the parents of Alice da Silva Aguiar, who had “a world of dreams and unlimited potential”.
They described the stabbing as “a pin drop that changed our lives forever”.
“We kept our hopes up every second during Alice’s 14-hour fight but once she had lost her fight, we lost our lives.”
They say: “It feels like we’re stuck in a 5D horror movie with moving pictures and moments being relived.
“It has fear, anxiety, loss, and terror all over it and it’s playing on loop. We can’t get out.”
They say going out does not feel safe and “any attempts to lighten up, a smile and a laugh are quickly met by regret and guilt. How can we ever smile if Alice is not here?”
Alice’s mother talks about not being able to be alone and that the darkness feels as though there is someone there to hurt the family.
They say families of Alice’s friends have been left with PTSD. “Most have not seen footage or Alice the way we did, and we’re thankful for that. Those images are haunting and left a debilitating scar to the soul.”
“We will miss Alice forever. Her energy, contagious smile, assertive confidence and undeterred determination to find herself, grow into herself. She was brilliant. She was our everything, so how can we make anything else matter?”
They describe how nothing can bring them joy and that they cannot do their daily habits without her. “Coming back from work and hearing her say ‘Ola Papa’ or ‘Ola Mama’, our ‘see you later alligator’ and the ‘in a while crocodiles’.”
They say they will “ will miss our perfect baby girl forever”.
A 14-year-old victim is “determined to speak”, the prosecutor says. She is giving evidence remotely, a facility that is provided for child victims of crime.
She reads confidently, explaining the events running up to the attack and how a “warm and sunny” day turned into a “living nightmare”.
She speaks to Rudakubana: “The thing I remember most about you is your eyes. You didn’t look human and you looked possessed.”
She describes the attack and how she helped the younger girls get away.
“The fear I had not knowing where my sister was and screaming her name, I couldn’t see her. I didn’t know if she had got out. I will never forget that blind panic.”
She describes horrendous injuries inflicted by the killer and questioning whether she was going to die.
She says she felt “lonely” after the attack because nobody at school knew what to say to her. “I have to have a special chair in school, because the usual chairs dig into my scars.”
She and her sister have nightmares and her father has had to close his business because he has “not been able to cope mentally”.
She says: “No sane person could do that, it’s sickening what you did, going in there knowing you’re going into a room full of defenceless children. Give me a reason for what you did. Arming yourself with a weapon and stabbing children. I hope you spend the rest of your life knowing that we think you’re a coward.”
She adds: “I am still so angry.”
Leanne Lucas, the dance teacher who was seriously injured during the attack is reading her own statement.
She says: “As a 36-year-old woman I cannot give myself compassion or accept praise, as how can I live knowing I survived when children died.”
She speaks poignantly, with a strong voice, about having “lost my role, my purpose and my job”, feeling as if she cannot look after children again.
She describes the trauma as “horrendous”.
“He targeted us because we were women and girls, vulnerable and easy prey. To discover that he had always set out to hurt the vulnerable is beyond comprehensible.
“For Alice, Elsie, Bebe, Heidi and the surviving girls, I’m surviving for you.”
Updated
Victim personal statements are now starting.
One victim’s father describes asking his daughter about the attack, and her reporting having “scars that will be with me forever”. He describes his daughter as a “hero”.
On 22 July 2024, he wore the same clothes as during the Southport attack and got in a taxi to his former school. His father spotted him and pleaded with the taxi driver not to take him. It was the last day of school and prosecutors said it was an earlier attempt to carry out an attack like he carried out at the Hart Space a week later.
In December 2019, he took a hockey stick to school, which he used to attack another pupil.
In 2021, Rudakubana was diagnosed as autistic and in the same year was referred to Prevent three times for researching school shootings and the London Bridge terror attack.
In 2022, he was reported missing and was found by police with a small kitchen knife. He said he wanted to stab someone “so that he would get into trouble and his Tik Tok account, which contained embarrassing videos that he was unable to delete, would be closed down by the police”.
We are now hearing about Rudakubana’s background.
He was born in Cardiff and moved to Southport in 2013.
In 2019, he contacted Childline and asked: “What should I do if I want to kill somebody?” He said he had taken a knife to school and might use it on someone he hated at school, who he said bullied him.
A referral was made to police, who visited him, and the school was also informed. He had been temporarily excluded by this point, and this became permanent.
He was later asked why he brought a knife to school and he said: “To use it.”
A machete, arrows and a second large kitchen knife were also discovered inside his home.
Three computers were retrieved, one of which contained an Al-Qaeda manual, part of which detailed how to carry out a knife attack. Another part advised how to kill people with ricin, which the prosecutor said shows he knew how deadly the substance was when he made it.
The computers also contained graphic images of wars and conflicts, with images depicting dead bodies, victims of torture and beheadings. He also had cartoons mocking different religions including Islam, Judaism and Christianity.
These were “a window into the defendant’s mind”, Deanna Heer KC says.
Rudakubana is screaming that he feels ill again and has been removed from the court.
He shouted: “Judge I feel really ill I need to see a paramedic.
“Judge! Judge!
“I need to be seen by a paramedic! I feel ill!”
Updated
Heer goes on to talk about searches that were done in the killer’s home in the village of Banks, near Southport. The search soon came to a halt when ricin was discovered in a plastic food container under his bed.
Lab testing confirmed the substance had been made using equipment from his bedroom. Less than a gram of ricin can cause multi-organ failure, enough to kill an adult, and there is no antidote. There was no evidence that he used the ricin during this attack or at another time.
Updated
The prosecution is now talking through the examination of the scene and the weapon used in the attack, a single large kitchen knife.
Deanna Heer KC describes how Rudakubana was arrested and taken to a local police station.
He remained silent in interviews, however, while in custody made a number of comments about the attack, which included: “I’m glad those kids are dead, it makes me happy,” and “So happy, six years old. It’s a good thing they are dead, yeah.”
We are back from a lunch break.
Rudakubana’s defence barrister has said he was found by a doctor to be “fit and well” and that he understands that he cannot interrupt court proceedings.
Updated
The Southport killer, Axel Rudakubana, said: “I’m so glad those kids are dead” after he was arrested for the “sadistic” murder of three young girls and attempted murder of 10 others at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.
The sentencing of the 18-year-old was halted as he shouted that he felt ill before the judge ordered him to be removed from the bulletproof dock.
In comments that interrupted the hearing for around five minutes, Rudakubana shouted: “My chest is hurting … I need to speak to a paramedic” and then at an increasing volume: “Don’t continue! Don’t continue! Don’t continue!”
The court is now taking a break, which is common after distressing and disturbing details have been read out.
Court will be back in session at 2pm.
Updated
Deanna Heer KC is now talking about the injuries of the survivors. They were extremely severe, especially for one little girl who suffered numerous stab wounds, and delivered with force.
Children needed extensive life-saving surgery, including blood transfusions, and they spent time in high dependency units in Alder Hey and Manchester children’s hospitals. It is clear they have suffered life-changing injuries. One child will need to take medication for life.
Leanne Lucas, the dance teacher, suffered multiple stab wounds, particularly to her abdomen and scalp. She had air in her chest cavity and required blood transfusions and multiple surgeries.
Updated
Alice da Silva Aguiar went into cardiac arrest at the scene and was taken to hospital. Doctors were able to establish a pulse but her severe injuries led to her death the next morning.
Updated
Bebe King was also pronounced dead at the scene and was found on the landing. It is believed she was initially attacked in the studio. Her injuries would also have been “rapidly fatal” and would have been untreatable. Like Elsie, her cause of death was recorded as being caused by multiple stab wounds.
Updated
The pathological evidence is now being read by Deanna Heer KC. She explains that the injuries were inflicted by a degree of force.
She pauses to allow families to leave the courtroom.
Heer explains that Elsie Dot Stancome had received numerous knife injuries across her body, many of which were extremely severe. They would have been “rapidly fatal”. Some would have been inflicted after she died.
Updated
CCTV footage and police bodyworn footage shows police running into the building, directed by a member of the public. Rudakubana is thrown to the ground and arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
More footage shows the aftermath of the attack, when the children’s bodies are found. An officer can be heard saying: “She’s dead.”
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A clip is played of a small girl trying to escape the front door to be grabbed and pulled back by Rudakubana. She is seen to manage to leave but collapses.
A clip is shown of another girl collapsing on the street after being attacked and being helped by a member of the public.
Gasps and wails come from the public gallery at the injured children.
Rudakubana can be seen to enter the Hart Space. There is a pause, loud screaming can then be heard and children can be seen running from the building.
The prosecutor has warned the next clip is distressing.
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Footage of Rudakubana in the taxi on the way to the attack is played. He asks the taxi driver which building it is. He leaves the vehicle without paying and the taxi driver can be heard shouting after him: “Oi! You’ve not paid mate. What are you doing?”
The court is shown pictures from CCTV of Rudakubana wearing a green hoodie with the hood up, black trousers, trainers and a covid-style face mask to hide his identity.
Pictures of the Hart Space are also being shown, a white two-story building on a residential street. There is a floorplan with the location of the children at the start of the incident marked.
CCTV footage and pathological evidence is about to be played to the court. Members of the public who do not want to be present for that have been invited to leave the courtroom.
Deanna Heer KC explains how the children fled from the building, with some of the attacks occurring outside.
Some of the details of the children’s injuries are distressing. The families have asked the press not to go into too much detail about what happened to the children.
Heidi Liddle, another dance teacher who survived, described hiding in a toilet with one of the children and feeling the door rattle, but it did not open because she had her foot against it.
Deanna Heer KC continues going through the timeline of events.
She explains Rudakubana took a taxi to the Hart Space, where the dance class happened. Within 30 seconds of him going into the building, screams could be heard coming from inside.
The children were making bracelets at the time he entered. Leanne Lucas, a dance teacher who survived the attack recalled that without saying a word, he grabbed the child nearest to him from behind and put an arm around her. He moved on to a second child and then a third, Alice. It was only when he approached her and stabbed her that she realised what was happening.
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Axel Rudakubana taken out of court after shouting over the prosecution
His barrister, Stanley Reiz KC, said Rudakubana is having chest pains. There is no sympathy in the court for the killer and Mr Justice Goose has said proceedings will continue.
“I can’t continue with this!” Rudakubana yells over the prosecutor.
The judge said he has chosen the moment the proceedings have started to kick up a fuss.
“I didn’t choose this moment to feel pain. It’s not my fault,” shouts Rudakubana.
The prosecutor tries to talk, after being urged to continue by the judge.
Rudakubana shouts, “DON’T CONTINUE!” over the prosecutor.
Mr Justice Goose says: “Take him out.”
He will be brought back in after the break.
“I won’t have him disrupting.”
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Rudakubana has interrupted proceedings by shouting “I need to speak to a paramedic because I feel ill!” a number of times, adding: “I’m not gonna remain quiet.”
His barrister said there had been some concerns about his heath in prison, as he had refused to eat for a number of days and has drunk very little. But he was found fit to attend the hearing this morning.
Attack was 'premeditated' and 'sadistic in nature', says Deanna Heer KC for the prosecution
Prosecutor Deanna Heer KC is reading the facts of the case. She said he carried out a “premeditated, planned attack” that was “sadistic in nature”.
A number of weapons were recovered from his home, including ricin that he had produced, as well as a terror manual.
Having watched videos of atrocities, he “set out to emulate them”, she said.
He later said it was “a good thing” the children had died.
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A reminder of the charges, which are currently being read in court: three counts of murder, 10 of attempted murder, possession of a knife, producing the poison ricin and possession of a terrorist manual. Rudakubana has pleaded guilty to all of them.
Rudakubana is bending his head forward so only the very top of his head can be seen. Staff have confirmed to the judge that it is him.
Rudakubana is in the dock and Mr Justice Goose is now sitting.
It is unclear what is causing the delay but Rudakubana has still not arrived in the dock 45 minutes after the hearing was due to begin.
The judge will normally not enter the courtroom until all parties are at their seats.
Members of the public, press and the key members of the legal counsel all appear to be present at this point. The delay appears to be with the offender.
The courtroom is silent, bar the occasional whispered exchange between barristers.
The legal counsel for the defence and prosecution have entered court.
The prosecution is led by Deanna Heer KC, with her junior Philip Astbury.
Rudakubana’s defence team is Stanley Reiz KC and Carmel Wilde.
The legal teams had spent months preparing the case, in partnership with the police and the Crown Prosecution Service, and were ready for a trial before Rudakubana pleaded guilty at the eleventh hour on Monday, when the case was due to begin.
While the victims and witnesses will now be spared giving evidence about their ordeal, thousands of hours have been wasted because the murderer did not plead guilty at the earliest opportunity.
Rudakubana arrived in court this morning in a secure van from prison and is in the court cells.
There was some speculation about whether he would refuse to attend his sentencing, as has happened with other murderers, such as the baby killer Lucy Letby and also Thomas Cashman, who shot dead nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Liverpool in 2022.
There is currently no legal way of forcing a killer to attend their sentencing, though it will go ahead regardless of whether the offender is in the dock.
Journalists and members of the public are now being seated in the courtroom. Due to the number of victims, which also include the eight children and two adults who survived the attack, there are a large number of family members with connections to the case.
My colleague Josh Halliday inside Liverpool crown court reports there will be a delay to the start because a couple of dozen members of the public are going through airport style scanners, surrendering digital devices and giving their names and addresses.
A senior detective on the Southport investigation told the Guardian he hopes the judge will exceed the minimum 55 year prison sentence handed to Hashem Abedi for his role in the Manchester Arena attack.
Abedi was under 21 at the time of the atrocity meaning he couldn’t be handed a whole life term which would have ensured he was never released from prison.
The minimum age limit has since been reduced to 18 for whole life terms in exceptional circumstances, which Rudakubana would almost certainly have met - however he was nine days short of his 18th birthday at the time of the knife attack on 29 July last year.
Axel Rudakubana expected to receive substantial sentence
Rudakubana is expected to receive a substantial sentence for his crimes.
He will be given what is known as a “life sentence”, which will have a minimum term order. The terminology is a little confusing – this does not automatically mean he will die in prison.
An offender who has committed multiple murders and also has a terror charge might normally receive a “whole life order”, which means they would never get out of prison. But Rudakubana is not eligible as he was below the age of 18 at the time of the attack.
When considering the sentence, the judge will have a starting point and take into consideration aggravating and mitigating factors. In this case, the degree of planning Rudakubana put into the crime and the fact he targeted children would be aggravating factors. We will hear from Rudakubana’s barrister today on the mitigating factors, though there may be few. His guilty plea before the trial will be taken into account, as offenders receive a reduced sentence for pleading guilty – the earlier they plead, the bigger reduction in their sentence.
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Who were the victims?
Three young girls were killed during Rudakubana’s murderous rampage on 29 July.
Elsie Dot Stancombe
Aged seven, Elsie was described by her family as a “devoted Swiftie” who “brought light, love and joy to so many lives”. She went to Farnborough Road Infant School and was a member of a cheerleading group called Vortex Cheer, who formed a guard of honour during her funeral.
Elsie’s great-aunt described her as “lovely, sweet and gentle”, the BBC reported. Jean Stevenson said her grand-niece was “absolutely the sweetest child you could ever wish to meet”.
Bebe King
The youngest of the victims, “shimmering star” Bebe was just six years old when she was murdered by Axel Rudakubana.
In a statement after her death, her parents said she “was full of joy, light, and love, and she will always remain in our hearts as the sweet, kind, and spirited girl we adore”.
She was from a close-knit family, her grandfather wrote in a social media post.
“Bebe was such a sweet, happy little thing. Loving life, in particular music and theatre, and enjoying the deep affection in which she was held by her family and friends,” he wrote.
Alice da Silva Aguiar
Nine-year-old Alice was the first child victim to be named, after she died in hospital the day after the attack.
Described by her parents as a “princess”, she was in year 4 at Churchtown primary school, where her headteacher Jinnie Payne said: “Alice’s radiant smile brightened our days, and she embraced every aspect of school life with enthusiasm and joy.
“Her kindness, playful nature, and zest for trying new things will forever be remembered.”
In a statement read at her funeral, her Portuguese parents, Sergio and Alexandra, said she was the “perfect dream child” who loved animals and “moved our world” with her “confidence and empathy”. “Playful, energetic, friendly and always so respectful.”
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The Guardian’s north of England editor Josh Halliday is one of only a small number of journalists reporting from inside Liverpool crown court.
Such is the public interest in the case, the court has set up an overspill courtroom for journalists and family members who cannot get a seat inside the main courtroom.
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What we know about the Southport killer Axel Rudakubana
Axel Rudakubana was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents and lived in the village of Banks, near Southport, when he carried out the attack at the age of 17.
Detectives investigating the murders found he had developed a deep and dark interest in extreme violence, spending hours researching genocide and watching graphic videos of murder.
He had been excluded from mainstream education, having taken a knife to school, and was described by one former school friend as “a ticking timebomb”.
We are likely to get a little more detail on Rudakubana’s background and motives during the sentencing hearing today, though it may never be clear what drove the attack.
After the guilty pleas were entered, the Crown Prosecution Service said:
It is clear that this was a young man with a sickening and sustained interest in death and violence. He has shown no sign of remorse.
The hearing is due to begin at 11am at Liverpool crown court, where the previous hearings in this case have taken place.
There is a large police presence around the court, where two police officers are stationed at the entrance. A huge queue snakes out of the building to pass through security due to extra checks this morning. Opposite the court building a small group of activists has unfolded a banner for Patriotic Alternative, a rightwing group.
Southport killer Axel Rudakubana is being sentenced today
Good morning. I’m Robyn Vinter, the Guardian’s north of England correspondent, in court for the sentencing of 18-year-old Axel Rudakubana, who has pleaded guilty to the murders of three children, Alice da Silva Aguiar, Bebe King and Elsie Dot Stancombe, in Southport on 29 July 2024.
Rudakubana unexpectedly pleaded guilty to all charges on Monday, the day his trial at Liverpool crown court was due to begin.
The jury had not yet been sworn in when the teenager changed his plea to guilty for all 16 counts on the indictment: three counts of murder, 10 of attempted murder, possession of a knife, producing the poison ricin and possession of a terrorist manual.
The trial had been expected to last at least two weeks and the court was due to hear from the victims and witnesses of the attack, including the teachers at the Taylor Swift-themed dance class where the murders occurred, police officers who responded to the unfolding tragedy and paramedics who tended to the injured and dying children.
Pathologists, computer experts and a chemist had also been scheduled to give expert evidence.
More background here, as reported by my colleague, the north of England editor, Josh Halliday on Monday:
