Teenager sentenced to 52 years in prison for fatal stabbing at Taylor Swift theme

A teenager has been jailed for 52 years for fatally stabbing three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed children’s event in Britain last year.

Axel Rudakubana, 18, pleaded guilty to all charges, including three counts of murder, earlier this week to avoid a trial.

The horrific stabbing took place in July in Southport, a seaside town about 20 miles north of Liverpool. Merseyside Police said the children were attending a Taylor Swift-themed event at a dance school.

Three girls – 6-year-old Bebe King, 7-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe and 9-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar – were killed. Ten people were also injured in the attack, the police said.

Rudakubana, from Banks in Lancashire, was initially charged with three counts of murder, as well as 10 counts of attempted murder and one charge of possessing a knife in the incident. He subsequently faced terrorism charges for possessing a jihadi training manual and was accused of producing ricin, a toxin.

He pleaded guilty on Monday to all 16 charges.

This is a development story. Please check back for updates.