Taylor Swift Dance Class Knifeman Axel Rudakubana Sentenced to More Than 50 years in Prison — Judge Calls Crime 'Extreme and Exceptionally Serious'
The teen who attacked a Taylor Swift-themed dance class was sentenced to prison.
Jan. 23 2025, Published 12:23 p.m. ET
A teenager who stabbed three young girls to death at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in England has been sentenced to more than 50 years in prison, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Although he couldn't hand down a life sentence, the judge said it is likely the teen "will never be released."
The victims were attending a Taylor Swift-themed summer workshop at a local dance school when Rudakubana struck.
In his sentencing, Judge Julian Goose said 18-year-old Axel Rudakubana "wanted to try and carry out mass murder of innocent, happy young girls" and planned to kill as many people as he could.
The judge called it "the most extreme, shocking, and exceptionally serious crime" he has seen.
Rudakbuana was 17 when he attacked the children in the seaside town of Southport in July. He killed a six, seven and nine year old girl, and wounded eight other children and two adults.
Because he was a minor at the time, Goose said he couldn't impose a sentence of "life without parole."
Still, by sentencing him to 52 years before even being considered for parole, Goose relayed: "It is likely he will never be released."
Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, lost their lives in the madman's July 29 attack.
The sentencing caps a short, but bizarre trial, in which Rudakubana suddenly and unexpectedly changed his pleas and confessed to all 16 charges – including three counts of murder and 10 of attempted murder.
In addition, Rudakubana was removed from court multiple times during the sentencing phase, shouting at the judge and demanding: "I feel really ill, I need to be seen by a paramedic."
After not receiving a response, he shouted again: "Judge! Judge! Judge! I need to be seen by a paramedic."
Stanley Reiz KC, the teen's lawyer, tried to defend his client, explaining: "He has not eaten for a number of days, He has drunk very little over that period of time."
On Monday, Rudakubana refused to speak in court and would not even answer to confirm his name – meaning not guilty pleas had been entered by default on his behalf.
He then left the courtroom speechless after he mumbled "guilty" underneath his face mask to all charges.
The workshop was meant to be a Swift-inspired dance experience.
Rudakubana eventually confessed to murdering Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven.
He also confessed to attempting to murder eight other children, whose identities are protected by law, as well as the class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.
The attack happened on July 29, 2024, when the teen entered a Swift-themed dance class at The Hart Space in Southport with a knife.
British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer joins locals leaving flowers near the scene of the attack.
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Rudakubana was arrested on the day of the attack and charged with murder, attempted murder, and knife possession. Three months later, he was also charged with producing ricin and a terrorism offense after police found related items.
Along with pleading guilty to all charges, he further admitted to possessing an training manual, Military Studies In The Jihad Against The Tyrants, The Al Qaeda Training Manual, between August 2021 and July 2024.
Despite the discovery of a terrorist document, the Southport attack was not classified as a terrorist incident.
