Southport killer Axel Rudakubana sentenced to 52 years in jail for attacks – live updates

Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy calls the attack “cowardly” and “vicious”.

In a statement released after the sentence, she says: “[The girls] had come together for a Taylor Swift-themed morning to enjoy dancing, singing and making friendship bracelets in honour of their idol.

“Those girls – who range in age from six to 13 – were the polar opposite of the calculating teenager who carried out the harrowing and atrocious, pre-meditated attack.”

Referring to the detail given by prosecution counsel today, Kennedy adds that two of the children who died “suffered particularly horrific injuries”.

She says documents and images found on his devices show he had a “long-standing obsession with violence, killing and genocide.

“We can say that from all those documents is that no one ideology was uncovered and that is why this has not been treated as terrorism.”