Remorseless Axel Rudakubana appeared to gloat about his murderous attack after he was heard muttering he was “glad” his child victims were dead.
Prosecutor Deanna Heer KC revealed the knifeman, who murdered three girls and wounded ten people in a horrific mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed children’s holiday class in Southport, was heard making the sinister comments in police custody after his arrest.
Opening the sentencing hearing at Liverpool Crown Court, Ms Heer said the killer was heard to say: “It’s a good thing those children are dead... I am so glad... I am so happy.”
She told the court Rudakubana remained silent in police interview, but in custody made a number of “unsolicited comments” including, “I don’t care, I’m feeling neutral,” and “So happy, six years old. It’s a good thing they are dead, yeah.”
Axel Rudakubana, 18, was sentenced to at least 52 years in prison for carrying out the horrific attack which was described as a “pre-meditated attempt to commit indiscriminate mass murder”.
The remorseless killer did not appear in court as the sentence was read out on Thursday.
He was given 13 life sentences with a minimum term of 51 years and 190 days. Some time was taken off his 52-year sentence due to time already served in custody.
Rudakubana’s killings were a “pre-meditated, planned knife attack upon multiple victims, principally young girls, intending to kill them”, she said, and the horrific injuries suffered by the victims were “difficult to explain as anything other than sadistic in nature”.
In October 2019 he contacted Childline and asked, “What should I do if I want to kill somebody?” the court was told.
The violence-obsessed teenager pleaded guilty to all 16 offences he faced on the first day of his trial on Monday.
Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, died following the stabbing at The Hart Space on a small business park in the seaside town shortly before midday on 29 July.
The killer admitted their murders as well as the attempted murders of eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.
Cardiff-born Rudakubana further pleaded guilty to possessing a knife which he bought on Amazon, production of the biological toxin ricin, and possession of a document which contained al-Qaeda training material.
He did not receive a whole-life order because he was 17 at the time of the attack. The sentence can normally only be imposed on criminals aged 21 or over and is usually only considered for those aged 18 to 20 in exceptional circumstances.
Officers found violent content on Rudakubana’s devices, including images of dead bodies, victims of torture, beheadings, cartoons depicting killing, violence and rape or which mocked religions including Islam, Judaism and Christianity, the court heard.
The prosecutor said there were numerous images relating to wars and conflicts, including in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Korea, Iraq and the Balkans.
Rudakubana was twice removed from the dock within hours, after shouting over the prosecutor.
A few minutes into his sentencing hearing on Thursday, he called out: “I haven’t eaten for 10 days. I feel ill. I’m not going to remain quiet.”
The judge Mr Justice Goose told the defendant to be quiet and instructed proceedings to continue, but he was removed from the dock after he continued to interrupt.
One family member shouted “coward” as he was led away by dock officers.
The second time, after a lunch break, the killer interrupted the prosecutor again, shouting: “Judge, judge I feel really ill, I need to be seen by a paramedic.”
Mr Justice Goose ordered him from the dock and said Rudakubana was seen by two teams of paramedics “who deem he’s fit” to be in court. The defendant however failed to appear for his sentencing.
