Southport triple murderer refuses to leave cell for court hearing

Southport triple murderer Axel Rudakubana has refused to leave his cell for a court hearing that made a correction to his life sentence.

The 18-year-old was jailed for a minimum of 52 years last month after he admitted stabbing three girls, aged between seven and nine, to death at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July 2024.

Rudakubana was due to appear at Liverpool Crown Court via videolink from Belmarsh Prison on Tuesday morning for a short hearing to correct a technical error concerning how his jail term was described.

However his defence lawyer Carmel Wilde told the court: "We understand from staff at Belmarsh that he has refused to leave his cell to attend court or to speak to his legal team."

Deanna Heer KC, prosecuting, asked the judge to change Rudakubana's sentence from "custody for life" to "detention at His Majesty's pleasure" because he was under 18 at the time of the murders.

Mr Justice Goose said: "The case of the Crown against Axel Rudakubana was listed for mention on the application of the prosecution.

"The purpose of this hearing is to correct a technical error but which will have no effect on the total sentence imposed on the defendant on January 23 this year."

He said the sentence is "still a life sentence", but of a different kind.

The judge added: "The defendant has refused to waive his right to attend or to be here."

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The judge told the court that, because of the circumstances of the application, which would not result in his sentence being lengthened, Rudakubana was not required to attend.

The teenager murdered Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, at the dance class in Southport, Merseyside.

He also admitted attempting to murder eight other children and two adults, possession of a knife, production of a biological toxin - ricin - and possessing information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism.

(c) Sky News 2025: Southport triple murderer refuses to leave cell for court hearing