Court verdict and sentencing reports

British Teen Pleads Guilty to Murdering Three Girls at Taylor Swift-Themed Dance Class

Jan 20, 2025, 11:55 AM

On the first day of his trial at Liverpool Crown Court, 18-year-old British teenager Axel Rudakubana pleaded guilty to murdering three young girls during a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport last July. The victims were six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar. The attack, which shocked the nation and led to days of nationwide rioting, also left ten other people wounded. Rudakubana admitted to three counts of murder, ten counts of attempted murder, producing the deadly poison ricin, possessing an Al-Qaeda training manual, and possession of a bladed article. It was revealed that he had been referred to the government's counter-terrorism program, Prevent, multiple times starting at age 13, due to concerns about his interest in violence and school massacres. Prior to the attack, he had exhibited violent behavior, including attacking pupils with a hockey stick at school.