Axel Rudakubana, an 18-year-old man who pleaded guilty to killing three girls at a Taylor Swift-dance course in Great Britain during the summer, has been sentenced to at least 52 years in prison.
In July, Rudakubana carried out a knife attack at a dance and yoga studio in Southport, England, killing 7-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, 9-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar and 6-year-old Bebe King and injuring 10 others. As the BBC reportsRudakubana was 17 years old at the time of the attack, meaning he could not receive a life sentence without a minimum term. But Mr. Justice Goose, who presided over the sentence at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday, said it was unlikely that Rudakubana would ever be released.
Although he initially pleaded not guilty, Rudakubana changed his plea to guilty this week ahead of the scheduled start date of the trial. The charges against Rudakubana include three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and two terror-related offences.
At the sentencing, during which Rudakubana was removed twice for shouting that he was sick, the court was told the attack was premeditated and that he told police afterwards he was “glad” the children had died, according to the BBC. The court also heard more about the terror-related charges to which Rudakubana pleaded guilty, which included the discovery of ricin – a naturally occurring toxin that can be deadly – at his home and possession of an Al-Qaeda training manual. Details of previous incidents were also presented, including that Rudakubana – who was born in Cardiff and moved to Southport with his family in 2013 – had previously brought a knife to school, contacted a helpline to ask: “What do I do if I want to kill any?” and had been referred three times to the anti-extremism program Prevent.
Victims’ families and survivors also gave emotional statements in court. The BBC reported that Leanne Lucas, the 36-year-old dance instructor in the class who survived multiple stab wounds, said: “The impact this has had on me can be summed up in one word: trauma. He targeted us because we were women and girls, vulnerable and easy prey. To discover that he was always determined to hurt the vulnerable. To Alice, Elsie, Heidi and the surviving girls, I survive for you.”
After the news of the attack in July, Swift made a statementand wrote that she was “completely in shock”.
“The loss of life and innocence, and the terrible trauma inflicted on everyone who was there, the families and the first responders. These were just little kids in a dance class,” she wrote. “I am at a loss for how I will ever be able to convey my sympathies to these families.”
Swift later met survivors and their families ahead of her August shows at London’s Wembley Stadium.
