Axel Rudakubana, 18, was handed one of the highest minimum custody terms ever following the attack at The Hart Space in July last year
The Attorney General has decided not to refer the sentencing of notorious Southport killer Axel Rudakubana to the Court of Appeal, despite public outcry.
The 18-year-old monster was slapped with a life sentence and will rot behind bars for at least 52 years after savagely slaughtering three girls during a Taylor Swift dance class.
The heinous crime took place at The Hart Space in July last year, and Rudakubana’s age at the time – just 17 – meant he dodged a whole life order.
Today, Attorney General Lord Hermer KC announced he wouldn’t challenge the sentence under the unduly lenient sentence scheme, reports the Mirror.
He stated: “The senseless and barbaric murder of three young girls in Southport last summer shocked our nation.
“No words come anywhere close to expressing the brutality and horror in this case. It was understandable that we received multiple requests to review the sentence under the unduly lenient sentence scheme, which is designed to identify and remedy gross errors made by judges.
“After careful consideration of independent legal advice and consultation with leading criminal barristers and the Crown Prosecution Service, I have concluded that this case cannot properly be referred to the Court of Appeal.
“No-one would want the families to be put through an unnecessary further court process where there is no realistic legal basis for an increased sentence. The 52-year sentence imposed by the judge was the second longest sentence imposed by the courts in English history.
“Rudakubana will likely never be released and will spend the rest of his life in jail. The Government have set out the next steps that must now take place to ensure that these awful murders will be a line in the sand. My thoughts today are with the friends and families of Bebe, Elsie and Alice, as well as the other victims – your memories will not be forgotten.”
Southport’s MP, Patrick Hurley, previously asked the Attorney General to review Rudakubana’s sentence as “unduly lenient”, stating that it was not “severe enough”. A parent of one of the survivors of the attack told The Sun that the crimes were so heinous that Rudakubana should “rot in jail” and that the “law needs changing”.
The sentence handed down to Rudakubana is thought to be the harshest ever given to someone of his age. Under existing legislation, he cannot receive a whole-life order as he is under the age threshold of 21, although there are exceptions for those aged between 18 and 20 in exceptional circumstances.
The Tories, led by Kemi Badenoch and backed by shadow home secretary Chris Philp, argue there is a “strong case” for revising legislation to allow whole-life tariffs for certain young offenders. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the “vile offender will likely never be released”.