The dad of one of the girls who was stabbed to death in Southport in July last year searched the streets of the town to look for his daughter - before the police issued a heartbreaking message to confirm the child had been killed. Following the horrific killing spree at The Hart Space on July 29, 2024, the dad of six-year-old daughter Bebe King, who was murdered by Axel Rudakubana while attending a Taylor Swift-themed dance class, searched the streets of Southport, as he hoped his child might be in a house and being looked after. He and his wife gave police a description of their daughter but kept hoping she was safe.
However, at some point a female police officer approached him - and he "went cold" as he started fearing the worst. That's when the family learnt that Bebe had tragically passed away. In their first interview since the deaths of their beloved daughters, the victims' parents have opened up on their anguish and pain since last July. Bebe's dad told The Sunday Times: "We had given people Bebe's description. When that person came towards me, I could feel the blood drain from me and I went cold.
"I knew she was going to tell me something. And she did. 'Are you Bebe's dad?' As soon as I said yes she said she had passed away." Bebe's mum, who was just behind her dad, fell to her knee screaming, the newspaper reported. The child's uncle, who was there, said he will never forget the sound of her screams. Bebe's mum said she has no memory of what happened when she learnt of the tragedy - and paramedics draped her in blankets to keep her warm. She said: "They told me Bebe had died when I was standing on the corner of a street.".
The family were then taken into the home of a relative who lived close-by. The next day, Bebe's aunt was getting married and the whole family was busy preparing for the wedding - but the wedding got cancelled after the girl was killed. Bebe's father said: "We were in that house and the whole family came. I called my mum and sister and they were at the wedding venue. The wedding got cancelled.". Last month, 18-year-old Rudakubana, who was 17 years old at the time of the killings, was sentenced to life for the murders of Bebe, Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven. Judge Mr Justice Goose described the killings as "the most extreme, shocking and exceptionally serious crime".
Despite being arrested with the knife in his hands Rudakubana had denied killing the children until the trial got underway. He even said "I'm glad they're dead" as he was held in a custody suite after killing the children, Liverpool Crown Court heard. During his sentencing hearing on January 23, repeatedly interrupted proceedings be shouting and had to be removed from the courtroom. Jailing him for a minimum of 52 years, Mr Justice Goose said: "During the sentence hearing, Axel Rudakubana was determined to disrupt the proceedings so he would not have to face the victims of his crimes and face justice." Before he passed sentence the judge said: "I consider it is likely at this time that he will never be released.".
