Southport killer’s sentence called into question amid calls for law changes
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The Southport killer’s record-high 52-year sentence will be reviewed amid criticism it was not long enough after mounting calls for law changes to see child criminals like him die in jail. Axel Rudakubana was handed one of the highest minimum custody terms on record after carrying out the sadistic attack at a Taylor Swift-themed class in July aged 17.
The punishment is also thought to be the longest imposed on a killer of his age. Now 18, he admitted the murders when he appeared in court earlier this week as well as the attempted murders of eight other children who cannot be named for legal reasons, class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.
Rudakubana also pleaded guilty to having a knife, which he had bought on Amazon, on the date of the killings, production of the deadly poison ricin, and for possessing information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism.
Southport’s Labour MP Patrick Hurley said the sentence was “not severe enough” and he had asked the Attorney General to review the sentence as “unduly lenient”, adding: “We need a sentence that represents the severity of this crime that has terrorised the victims and their families.”.
Because Rudakubana carried out the crimes just nine days short of his 18th birthday, it means by law he cannot be sentenced to a whole life order which means he would never be released from jail. Describing the minimum term as “substantial” Mr Justice Goose, sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday, said he will serve “almost the whole of his life in custody”, adding: “I consider at this time that it is likely that he will never be released and that he will be in custody for all his life.”.
