Priest who led Southport victim's funeral fights back tears after murderer sentenced

A priest who led Southport victim Alice da Silva Aguiar's funeral after she was murdered by Axel Rudakubana fought back tears as he paid tribute to the nine-year-old after her killer was sentenced.

On Thursday (23 January) the 18-year-old was jailed for life with a minimum of 52 years for murdering Alice, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and stabbing several others in an act of “extreme violence” at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in July 2024.

Remembering Alice, Father John Heneghan described the young girl — whose Holy Communion he presided over months before she died — as "radiating joy."