The Southport child killer's sentence will not be referred to the Court of Appeal under the unduly lenient sentence scheme, the Attorney General has said. Axel Rudakubana, 18, was jailed for a minimum of 52 years in January, after murdering three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July last year. However, the sentence brought criticism from a family involved in the attack and MPs, alongside calls for changes in the law.
Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time, killed Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and attempted to murder eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes. He received one of the highest minimum custody terms on record for the attack. Lord Hermer KC said on Friday: "It was understandable that we received multiple requests to review the sentence under the unduly lenient sentence scheme, which is designed to identify and remedy gross errors made by judges.
"After careful consideration of independent legal advice and consultation with leading criminal barristers and the Crown Prosecution Service, I have concluded that this case cannot properly be referred to the Court of Appeal.". This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
