# Southport killer jailed for at least 52 years after Liverpool sentencing hearing
A court in Liverpool sentenced Axel Rudakubana to a minimum of 52 years in prison on 2025-01-23 after he pleaded guilty to the murders of three young girls in Southport and 10 counts of attempted murder. The sentence followed a hearing marked by repeated interruptions from Rudakubana, who was removed from the courtroom more than once.
Judge Julian Goose described Rudakubana’s actions as evil and said the attack had been carried out with settled intent. Because Rudakubana was 17 at the time of the crime, the judge said the court was not legally able to impose a whole-life order without parole. Even so, Goose said it was likely Rudakubana would never be released and would spend the rest of his life in custody.
The attack targeted a Taylor Swift-themed dance class and killed Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9. Rudakubana also admitted producing ricin and possessing material likely to be useful to a person preparing an act of terrorism. Prosecutors said an apparent al-Qaeda training manual and ricin had been found at the home he shared with his parents, who are originally from Rwanda.
The court also heard that the killings were not inspired by any political or religious ideology. Prosecutor Deanna Heer said Rudakubana’s purpose had simply been to kill, and that he had targeted the youngest and most vulnerable to cause maximum fear and outrage. That detail is important because the aftermath of the Southport murders was fuelled by online misinformation that falsely blamed a Muslim asylum seeker.
That false narrative helped trigger days of rioting in which far-right mobs attacked police, shops, asylum seeker hotels, mosques and a library. Hundreds were later arrested and charged. The case has become one of the most disturbing examples in Britain of how a violent crime, disinformation and public anger can combine to produce wider unrest.
Rudakubana’s behavior in court remained defiant throughout the process. According to DW, he interrupted the hearing repeatedly and shouted that he needed to speak to a paramedic. The judge refused to adjourn sentencing. The final penalty means Rudakubana is likely to remain in prison for life, even if the court could not impose a no-parole order.
