you arejoining us back here at liverpool crown court where this afternoon, the killer of the three young girls in the southport knife attack last year has been sentenced to a minimum term of 52 years. i just want to bring you some reaction that has come into that from the prime minister, sir keir starmer, who said the atrocity and southport was one of the most harrowing moments in our country's history and vial offender axel rudakubana will vial offender axel rudaku ba na will likely vial offender axel rudakubana will likely never be released. it's

worth, on this day when we have heard such harrowing testimony, the victim impact statements, the details of what happened back on july the 29th 2024. details of what happened back on july the 29th 202a. just reminding ourselves of the background of this, my colleaguejudith morris reports now and just a reminder that there are some distressing details. he didn't want to be recognised. put up he didn't want to be recognised. put up to my mask on bus to be solved in the back of a taxi. he booked it to take them hart street on the southport. having arrived there, the driver asks him how he wants to pay. with cash. but driver asks him how he wants to pay. with cash. �* , , ., with cash. but he “umps out with other things — with cash. but he “umps out with other things on _ with cash. but he jumps out with other things on his _ with cash. but he jumps out with other things on his mind. - with cash. but he jumps out with other things on his mind. the - other things on his mind. the teenager only had one intent, looking for the taylor swift dance class. first he tries the wrong door then calmly wanders through the one he wants before disappearing up the stairs towards the children. it was

ten minutes before the police arrive to a scene of carnage. two adults and ii to a scene of carnage. two adults and 11 children stabbed, three little girls murdered. six—year—old bb king and elsie dot stancombe aged seven didn't stand a chance. nine—year—old alice da silva aguiar managed to get out of the building but died of her injuries. the but died of her in'uries. the intensity h but died of her in'uries. the intensity of _ but died of her in'uries. the intensity of the h but died of her injuries. iie intensity of the level of but died of her injuries. iij: intensity of the level of violence used, the intent, it is clear that axel rudakubana went to heart street, intent on notjust committing murder that day, he wanted to commit mass murder. and injure people with the most severe injuries. and that's what he succeeded in doing.- injuries. and that's what he succeeded in doinu. . . , succeeded in doing. having arrested axel rudakubana, _ succeeded in doing. having arrested axel rudakubana, it _ succeeded in doing. having arrested axel rudakubana, it wasn't - succeeded in doing. having arrested axel rudakubana, it wasn't long - axel rudakubana, it wasn't long before the police went to his house. inside, they found chaos. in the lounge, a knife on the sofa, electronic devices full of images of

war and genocide will stop there was more in his bedroom. under the bed, a machete. a bow and a set of arrows, and then a find which brought the search to a sudden stop, ricin, the deadly poison and the equipment to make it. despite all of the outcome of the police say that because there's no evidence that axel rudakubana subscribe to a particular political or religious ideology, the stabbing hasn't been declared a terrorist incident. but it's now emerged that he had previously been referred to the government's counterterrorism prevent programme three times because of material he viewed online. ~ �* , ., online. we've spoken about the curowin online. we've spoken about the growing number _ online. we've spoken about the growing number of _ online. we've spoken about the growing number of young - online. we've spoken about the l growing number of young people online. we've spoken about the - growing number of young people with complex _ growing number of young people with complex fixations with violence that are within _ complex fixations with violence that are within our casework but who have no clear_ are within our casework but who have no clear ideology, despite that violent— no clear ideology, despite that violent fascination. although improvements to help tackle this challenge have been made, it is right— challenge have been made, it is right that — challenge have been made, it is right that questions are asked about what more _ right that questions are asked about what more needs to be done across

the whole _ what more needs to be done across the whole prevent system and beyond. it's also _ the whole prevent system and beyond. it's also been revealed that the week before the attack, axel rudakubana tried to get into a taxi but his father managed to stop him. he booked it to take him to his former high school. it was thought he was planning an attack there. he had been expelled five years earlier and a picture is now forming of a violent past, contact with the police, carrying knives into school and on a bus and an assault on another student. the families of the three little girls who were murdered by the teenager only discovered some of these details for the first time this week. , ., of these details for the first time this week. ,., ., , this week. the report to prevent social services, _ this week. the report to prevent social services, they _ this week. the report to prevent social services, they are - this week. the report to prevent social services, they are new. i this week. the report to prevent i social services, they are new. that is new knowledge. they are shocked, but they would like to be part of change, and they are grateful that a public inquiry has been announced to do that. the

public inquiry has been announced to do that. ., public inquiry has been announced to do that. ._ ., ,, ., . do that. the taylor swift dance class was _ do that. the taylor swift dance class was build _ do that. the taylor swift dance class was build online, - do that. the taylor swift dance class was build online, but - do that. the taylor swift dance class was build online, but it's| do that. the taylor swift dance i class was build online, but it's not known what axel rudakubana's reason was for targeting it. do you know anything about why he chose that event? mt; anything about why he chose that event? g _., ,, anything about why he chose that event? g event? my hypothesis all the way throu~h event? my hypothesis all the way through this _ event? my hypothesis all the way through this was _ event? my hypothesis all the way through this was that _ event? my hypothesis all the way through this was that obviously . event? my hypothesis all the way| through this was that obviously he had seen — through this was that obviously he had seen it advertised somewhere. i don't _ had seen it advertised somewhere. i don't know— had seen it advertised somewhere. i don't know why he picked it, and that is— don't know why he picked it, and that is one — don't know why he picked it, and that is one of the questions that families— that is one of the questions that families desperately want answering. why? _ families desperately want answering. why? why— families desperately want answering. why? why heart space? why an event where _ why? why heart space? why an event where it _ why? why heart space? why an event where it was _ why? why heart space? why an event where it wasjust why? why heart space? why an event where it was just young ladies? just young _ where it was just young ladies? just young girls? was it because of the vulnerability? that piece of the evidence — vulnerability? that piece of the evidence had not been able to be found _ evidence had not been able to be found throughout this investigation. axel rudakubana is very out of childhood himself. now he starts his adulthood as a reviled mass murderer whose left acute distress, profound loss and a lot of questions in his wake. judith moretz, bbc news, southport. in the last hour or so, as we have

been bringing you the axel rudakubana, has been sentenced to a minimum of 52 years injail. let's listen to some of those sentencing remarks. this is mrjustice goose. i'm sure that axel rudakubana had a settled and determined intention to carry out these offences, and had he been able to, he would've killed each and every child, all 26 them, as well as any adults that got in his way. it was only because he managed to escape that prevented many more from being murdered. i'm also sure that after the other children, eight of whom he had seriously injured, managed to escape. it left him in the upstairs room and landing where he returned to continue his sustained and brutal violence against two of the youngest of those children, stabbing them multiple times. that demonstrated how determined he was to cause the maximum suffering he could. left alone with them, where they'd

fallen, he'd continued shocking and extreme violence. in total, i sentenced axel rudakubana to 13 sentences of custody for life and a minimum term to be served in custody of 51 days, 190 days. it is highly likely he will never be released. —— 51 days, 190 days. the likely he will never be released. -- 51 days. 190 days-— 51 days, 190 days. the sentencing remarks there _ 51 days, 190 days. the sentencing remarks there from _ 51 days, 190 days. the sentencing remarks there from mr _ 51 days, 190 days. the sentencing remarks there from mrjustice - 51 days, 190 days. the sentencing - remarks there from mrjustice goose. in their our reaction coming in from the political side in reaction to this 52 year minimum sentence. we brought you a little bit of the prime minister's statement. let's give you a little bit more. the thoughts of the entire nation are with families and everyone affected by the unimaginable horrors that unfolded in southport. no words will ever be able to capture the depth of their pain. i want to say directly to the survivors, families and community at southport, you are not alone. we stand with you in your

grief. what happened in southport was an atrocity, and as the judge was... after one of the most harrowing moments in our country's history, we owe it to these innocent young girls and all of those affected to deliver the change that they deserve. so that is a statement there from the prime minister from there from the prime minister from the sentencing from the crown court. the uk affairs correspondent is here with more. we the uk affairs correspondent is here with more. ~ ., ., , ., ., with more. we are now starting to have discussion _ with more. we are now starting to have discussion about _ with more. we are now starting to have discussion about sentencingl have discussion about sentencing emerging, which i think is probably going to be inevitable, given the fact that somebody who committed such an atrocious crime wasn't able to be given a whole life order. and kimi baden, the conservative leader had just said in a statementjust in the last few minutes that she wants to see a change in the law so that as she put it, life sentences, i think she must mean whole life

orders can be imposed on minors, on people under the age of 18, so clearly that is a promise from the conservative party there that they will look to make it possible that someone could be given the sentence, which would mean they would never be released even if they are under the age of 18. —— kemi badenoch. she began her statement by saying axel rudakubana should never be released from prison. the leader is going one step further and said there would like to be a debate now about capital punishment about the death penalty, and whether or not that is something that this country should now discuss. so, as often happens, the moments of these really horrendous crimes when sentencing happens, there is a discussion about what is the appropriate penalty for these crimes that go beyond the pale, that are just so extreme that we cannot really 1408 00:09:56,203 --> 00:09: