18-year-old Axel Rudakubana went on a stabbing spree of a Taylor Swift-themed dance class for children in July, in a case that shocked Britain.
18-year-old Axel Rudakubana went on a stabbing spree of a Taylor Swift-themed dance class for children in July, in a case that shocked Britain.
By Rob Harris
January 24, 2025 — 4.35am
London: A British teenager who killed three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class has been jailed for at least 52 years in a crime that shocked Britain and triggered days of nationwide rioting.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, admitted killing the girls and stabbing 10 others last July in the northern English town of Southport – an attack so violent prosecutors said it appeared he had tried to decapitate one of the victims.
He was said to have shown no remorse since the attacks six months ago, which prompted questions about how authorities failed to spot multiple warning signs about his behaviour.
Rudakubana refused to come into the courtroom as he was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court, having been removed from the dock earlier due to disruptive behaviour – which included demands to see a paramedic and shouts of “I feel ill”. The teenager had unexpectedly pleaded guilty to all 16 charges he faced on Monday.
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After the attack, a series of anti-immigrant riots broke out in Britain after disinformation about the perpetrator’s identity swirled on social media and messaging apps. False claims that he was an undocumented immigrant or newly arrived asylum seeker were amplified by far-right agitators.
Rudakubana is a British citizen who was born in Wales to parents originally from Rwanda.
Judge, Justice Julian Goose, sentenced him for three counts of murder, 10 of attempted murder, one of producing the biological toxin ricin and one of possession of an Al-Qaeda training manual, an offence under the Terrorism Act.
In his sentencing remarks, he said: “I am sure Rudakubana had the settled determination to carry out these offences and had he been able to, he would have killed each and every child – all 26 of them.”
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“He will serve almost the whole of his life in custody. I consider it likely he will never be released and he will be in custody for all of his life.”
Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, died while eight other children and two adults – dance class leader Leanne Lucas and businessman Jonathan Hayes – were seriously wounded.
There were reportedly gasps from the public gallery in court as extremely distressing footage of his “sadistic” and “meticulously planned” attack was played on the courtroom TV monitors.
Since Rudakubana pleaded guilty, a portrait of a deeply troubled young man obsessed with violence has emerged, as has the fact that he was on the radar of the local authorities for years before the attack.
At age 13 and 14, he was referred three times to Prevent, a British counterterrorism program. The first time was for researching school shootings during class, in 2019.
Then in 2021, he was referred for uploading images of Muammar Qaddafi, the Libyan dictator, to his Instagram account, and for researching the London Bridge terrorist attack. But those referrals were ultimately dropped because it was determined each time that he did not meet the threshold for intervention.
But prosecutors said there was no evidence that he ascribed to any particular political or religious ideology. Content found on his computer and tablets showed a longstanding fascination with violence, killing and genocide.
The court heard that he had gloated about the killings at a police station after his arrest, saying: “It’s a good thing those children are dead . . . so glad . . . so happy.”
Prime Minster Keir Starmer said following the verdict that the thoughts of the entire nation were with the families and everyone affected by the “unimaginable horrors”.
“No words will ever be able to capture the depth of their pain,” Starmer said.
“After one of the most harrowing moments in our country’s history we owe it to these innocent young girls and all those affected to deliver the change that they deserve.”
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Rob Harris is Europe correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via email.
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