Southport killer said he was ‘glad’ children were dead after arrest
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CCTV shown of Axel Rudakubana’s attack at dance studio in July 2024, as sentencing hearing told details of girls’ injuries. 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!”.
About 40 relatives of the victims were inside the packed courtroom to see the teenager be handed life sentences at Liverpool crown court. Shouts of “coward” could be heard from the public gallery as the killer was removed from the dock. He faces a prison term of at least 35 years after pleading guilty on what was due to be the first day of his trial over the murder of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine.
He also admitted the attempted murder of eight other children and two adults, as well as the possession of a terrorist publication – a version of an al-Qaida training manual – and having produced the deadly toxin, ricin. Deanna Heer KC, prosecuting, outlined the horrific and unsurvivable injuries suffered by his young victims at the sold-out dance class on 29 July.
