The hosts of the UK’s no.1 true crime podcast series have recalled sitting through ‘one of the most distressing hearings’ as they revisited a day spent in court during the trial of Axel Rudakubana.
Daily Mail journalists Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull recounted the shocking details of the Southport attack revealed during Rudakubana’s sentencing on Thursday in the latest episode of The Trial.
The violence-obsessed 18-year-old was handed a life sentence with a minimum of 52 years for the murder of three young girls at a Taylor Swift themed dance class on July 29 last year.
The court heard harrowing details of how Rudakubana’s monstrous attack, in which he murdered Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, and attempted to murder ten others, unfolded in just a matter of minutes.
Recalling the day in court, Liz said: ‘The court was packed as you might expect and it was one of the most distressing hearings that I have ever sat through.
‘Many people inside were crying and gasps could be heard as CCTV was shown of the girls screaming and running from the building.
‘Very distressing bodycam was also played from the first police officers who arrived on the scene. Again people could be heard screaming and saying “Oh my God, oh my God” over and over again.
‘The footage also showed the moment officers discovered Heidi Liddle (one of the class’s instructors).
‘Now she was one of the women helping run the event and they found her crying and cowering in the toilets with one of the girls while the attack took place.’
Axel Rudakubana was handed a life sentence with a minimum of 52 years for the murder of three young girls at a Taylor Swift themed dance class on July 29 last year
Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, was one of the three children killed in the knife attack in Southport. She is pictured posing next to a Taylor Swift cut out outside the dance class on the day of the horrific attack.
Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, (left) and Bebe King, six, (right) was among the three little girls killed in the attack in Southport
Caroline added: ‘The prosecutor did explain some of the girls’ injuries, but they are too horrific to recount.
‘Safe to say they were stabbed many, many, many times.
‘Some of them, including Alice, were stabbed in the back as they ran away.
‘One of the girls was so seriously injured that her dad didn’t recognise her when he saw people taking care of her when he arrived to pick her up.
‘Several of them and Ms Lucas were taken to the hospital in a life threatening condition, including one who had to be airlifted to hospital.
‘Many of them, including two herwere sisters, needed surgery. Others had blood transfusions and another had to have her spleen removed.
Caroline continued: ‘Given the extensive nature of their injuries, it was miraculous that more of those girls didn’t die.
‘All of them continue to live with the effects of their injuries both physical and mental.’
Axel Rudakubana skulks in the back of a taxi on his way to murder three young girls
Rudakubana is then seen walking towards the Hart Space building where the dance class was being held
Disturbing footage played in court also showed the killer skulking silently in the back seat of a taxi on the way to the dance class - his cold, demonic eyes just visible over a blue facemask.
He is then seen calmly walking towards the Hart Space building where the dance class was being held. After finding the main door was closed, he enters through another door and up the stairs.
Witnesses described screams coming from inside the building within 30 seconds as the deranged teenager began targeting the girls inside.
Meanwhile horrific CCTV footage, played to Liverpool Crown Court, showed one child trying to flee the massacre before Rudakubana dragged them back inside the Hart Place building.
Sentencing Rudakubana on Thursday, Mr Justice Goose said: 'Many will describe what he did as evil. Who could dispute it? In any view, this was the most extreme, shocking and serious crime.
'I'm satisfied that had he been able to, he would have killed each and every child, all 26 of them and any adults who got in the way.
'It's only because some managed to escape that prevented many more from being murdered.'
A court sketch showing Rudakubana during the sentencing hearing
The knife that was used in the attack
The judge said he was unable to give Rudakubana a whole life tariff because he was days away from his 18th birthday when he carried out the atrocity.
The killer would have to go before the Parole Board before he is ever released.
He received 13 life sentences. He was also given a 12-year jail sentence for production of ricin which an expert said could have killed 12,500 people with more purification, and 18 month sentences for possession of the knife and Al Qaeda manual.
Rudakubana's sentence is one of the highest minimum custody terms on record and is also thought to be the longest imposed on a killer of his age.
Although Rudakubana's actions did not meet the statutory definition of terrorism, Mr Justice Goose said: 'In my judgement his culpability for this extreme violence is equivalent to that of terrorist murders whatever his motives.'
For more on this case, search for 'The Trial: The Southport Dance class' wherever you get your podcasts now.