British teenager sentenced to at least 52 years in prison
A British teenager who killed three girls at a dance class dedicated to music star Taylor Swift was sentenced today to at least 52 years in prison.
Three days ago, Axel Rudakubana (18) admitted carrying out the killings last July in Southport, northern England, and also pleaded guilty to ten counts of attempted murder, as well as manufacturing the deadly poison ricin and possessing an Al Qaeda training manual.
Six-year-old Bebe King and seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe died in the stabbing attack, while nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar died in hospital from her injuries. Eleven other people were injured in the attack, and the case sparked widespread public interest in Britain and beyond.
Prosecutors described the crime as extremely violent after the perpetrator apparently attempted to decapitate one of his victims. Two of his victims suffered horrific injuries that are difficult to explain as anything other than sadism, prosecutor Deanna Heer told Liverpool Crown Court.
Judge Julian Goose sentenced the teenager in absentia for refusing to return to court after leaving twice for adjourning the hearing.
Axel Rudakubana, who was born in Cardiff to Rwandan parents, was 17 at the time of the killings. Andrew Menary, a judge at Liverpool High Court, lifted a ban on reporting his identity in August.
