Southport killer refuses to leave prison cell for court hearing

Southport killer Axel Rudakubana has refused to leave his cell for a court hearing which made a correction to his life sentence.

The 18-year-old, who was sentenced last month for the knife attack on a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the Merseyside town, was due to appear at Liverpool Crown Court via video-link from London’s Belmarsh Prison on Tuesday morning for a mention hearing.

Carmel Wilde, defending, 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 amend Rudakubana’s sentence for three counts of murder from custody for life to detention at His Majesty’s pleasure, because he was under 18 at the time of the offence.

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.

He added: “The defendant has refused to waive his right to attend or to be here.”

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

Rudakubana was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 52 years after pleading guilty to murdering Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, at a dance class in Southport last July.

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.