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Relentlessly Axel Rudakubana He appeared to gloat over his murderous attack after he was heard muttering that he was “glad” his child victims were dead.
Prosecutor Deanna Heer KC revealed with a knife that he killed three girls and wounded ten people in the horrific mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed children’s holiday class in Southport, he was heard making ominous comments in police custody after his arrest.
Opening the sentencing hearing at Liverpool Crown Court, Mrs Heer said the killer was heard to say: “It’s a good thing those children are dead… I’m so glad… I’m so happy.”
Rudakubana was removed from the dock after shouting at the prosecutor for several minutes during Thursday’s sentencing hearing, saying: “I haven’t eaten in 10 days. I feel sick. I will not be silent.”
Judge Mr Justice Goose told the defendant to be quiet and ordered the case to continue, but he was removed from the dock after he continued to interrupt.
One family member shouted “coward” as he was led away by officers at the port.
The court concluded that the murders of Rudakuban were “a premeditated, planned knife attack on several victims, mostly young girls, with the intention of killing them.”
Ms Here said the horrific injuries suffered by the victims were “difficult to explain away as anything but sadistic in nature”.
The violent 18-year-old pleaded guilty to all 16 offenses he faced on the first day of his trial on Monday.
Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, died after being stabbed at The Hart Space in a small business park in the seaside town just before midday on July 29.
The killer confessed to their murders, as well as the attempted murders of eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and class teacher Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.
Cardiff-born Rudakubana pleaded guilty to possessing a knife he bought on Amazon, manufacturing the biological toxin ricin, possessing a document containing al Qaeda training material.
He is not expected to receive a lifetime order because he was 17 at the time of the attack. The sentence can usually only be imposed on criminals over the age of 21 and is usually only considered for those aged 18 to 20 in exceptional circumstances.
The sentencing hearing continues.
More to come on this breaking news…