Axel Rudakubana, who killed three in his attempt to murder 26 young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance party last year will “serve almost the whole of his life in custody”, but not his whole life, because he days shy of his 18th birthday when he attacked.
Judge Mr Justice Goose handed Rwandan heritage killer Axel Rudakubana a minimum term of 52 years in prison, saying had he not been 17-year-old when he launched his attack, he would certainly have been handed a rare full life term. This means excepting a successful appeal, Rudakubana will not be liable for parole for 52 years, and even so, in the words of the judge: “he will serve almost the whole of his life in custody. I consider at this time it is likely he will never be released and he will be in custody for all of his life.”
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While a full case was never heard by the court because Rudakubana pleaded guilty at the last minute, nevertheless horrifying new details of the Southport attack have now become public for the first time as they were read out by the prosecution in court, and summarised by Mr Justice Goose in his judgement.
While it had previously been known the victims had been stabbed many times by Rudakubana after he travelled to a children’s holiday fun group, it was revealed today that in at least one case, Rudakubana had worked to decapitate his child victim with a knife.
Summarising, Mr Justice Goose said of the death of seven year old Elsie Dot Stancombe that she suffered “at least 85 sharp force injuries to her head, face, neck, torso, and upper limbs. Severe force was used to cause her death”.
Of the death of six-year-old Bebe King, the judge said Rudakubana “inflicted at least 122 sharp force injuries to her head, face, neck, torso, and upper limbs. It was the opinion of [the pathologist] that Rudakubana had tried to decapitate her. He concluded that severe force was used to kill her”.
Of the death of nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar, Mr Justice Goose said the injuries inflicted by Rudakubana as he murdered her included “a chop wound to her head, and four stab wounds to her back causing substantial internal injury. Although she managed to escape out of the building she collapsed and despite all medical help she died in hospital”.
The Judge said:
…in his mind was the intention to murder as many of them as he physically could. He wanted to try and carry out the mass murder of innocent, happy, young girls and over about 15 minutes he savagely killed three of them and attempted to kill eight more, as well as two adults who tried to stop him.
… Rudakubana has a settled and determined intention to carry out these offences, and had he been able to, he would have killed each and every child, all 26 of them… it is only because some managed to escape that prevented many more from being murdered.
It was also revealed for the first time that, after his arrest, gloated about the killings. He said in police custody:
I’m glad those kids are dead, it makes me happy. I don’t care, I’m feeling neutral.
…It’s a good thing those children are dead
…Literally, such a good thing those kids are dead, six years old
…I’m so glad the children are dead, so glad. So happy, six years old. It’s a good thing they are dead, yeah.
This story is developing, more follows.
