Child killer Rudakubana is almost certain to die in jail

Teenager handed 13 life sentences for Southport knife attack

- AMY-CLARE MARTIN

A disturbed teenager who murdered three girls in a mass stabbing at a children’s dance class in Southport, and later gloated “I’m glad they’re dead”, is unlikely to be released from prison.

Axel Rudakubana, 18, was sentenced to life yesterday with a minimum of 52 years for carrying out the horrific attack which was described as a “pre-meditated attempt to commit indiscriminate mass murder”.

The remorseless killer, who admitted 16 offences, was absent from the dock as his sentence was read out, having twice been removed from court for shouting. He was given 13 life sentences with a minimum term of 51 years and 190 days.

Judge Mr Justice Goose said he was unable to hand him a rare whole life order because he was only 17 at the time of the attack on 29 July last year. He turned 18 nine days after the attack.

Patrick Hurley, Labour MP for Southport, said the sentence was not severe enough and said that he had asked Richard Hermer, the attorney general, to review it. He said: “We need a sentence that represents the severity of this crime that has terrorised the victims and their families.”

Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, paid tribute to the three murdered girls and the survivors of the attack. “The whole country has been horrified beyond words by these truly horrendous, cowardly and evil crimes,” she said.

The teenager dramatically changed his plea on the first day of his trial on Monday, admitting to murdering six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, who died from her injuries in hospital after she fled the rampage at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday class.