Southport child killer will face ‘lifetime of hell’ as prime target for attacks
Child killer Axel Rudakubana began his sentence of a minimum of 52 years today after the ‘pure evil’ killer was convicted of the horrific attack in Southport last July.
Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, died in the attack.
Rudakubana also attempted to murder eight other children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, class instructor Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes.
The 18-year-old began his sentence today in the high-security Belmarsh Prison in Woolwich, London.
Liverpool Crown Court previously heard how he gloated about the killings while being held in a custody suite following his arrest, telling police ‘I’m so glad the children are dead, so glad’.
If he tries a stunt like that in the prisons he’ll spend the rest of his life in, he’ll likely have a ‘bumpy ride’ and be the focal point of brutal attacks from fellow inmates.
‘If there was any intelligence he was at risk then he would be put in the segregation unit under isolation or to some other part of the prison where he is away from everyone else,’ Mark Fairhurst, national chairman of the Prison Officers’ Association, told The Sun.
‘His life will be absolute hell. He is target No.1.
‘He’ll be looking over his shoulders for the next 52 years. Any chance they can get him they will.’
One ‘career criminal’ told the Mail that even paedophiles, who are often victims of such attacks, will want him dead.
‘He’ll never be safe and I wouldn’t be surprised if the guards don’t stand in anyone’s way if someone came for him,’ he said.
What have the victim’s families said?
Elsie Dot Stancombe’s mother, Jenny Stancombe, described the 18-year-old killer as ‘cruel and pure evil’ and said his attack was ‘the act of a coward’.
She added: ‘We will carry her love, positivity and her legacy forward, no matter how much pain you have caused.
‘There is no greater loss and no greater pain. His actions have left us with a lifetime of grief, and it is only right that he faces the same.’
Alice da Silva Aguiar’s parents Alexandra and Sergio said in a statement: ‘Alice was a beautiful girl, perfect in every way. Loved her school, her friends. Music, dance, colourful pens and friendship bracelets. She loved Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, and Sabrina Carpenter.”
‘Our bond was very strong, the love in the family was pure. Life was bliss. Our dream girl has been taken away in such a horrible, underserving way that it shattered our souls.
‘We can no longer wake up with Alice’s happy smile, being playful or get a morning kiss and hug from her. We would do anything to hold Alice one more time.’
Lauren and Ben King, parents of Bebe King, said: ‘Our beloved Bebe, only six years old, was full of joy, light, and love, and she will always remain in our hearts as the sweet, kind, and spirited girl we adore.
‘The outpouring of love and support from our community and beyond has been a source of incredible comfort during this unimaginably difficult time.’
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