Evil Axel Rudakubana undergoes mental health tests at Belmarsh as he angles for transfer to ‘cushy’ Broadmoor where Yorkshire Ripper lived out his days
The monster who butchered three innocent girls at a Taylor Swift dance class could soon swap his prison cell for what critics are calling a “holiday camp” psychiatric hospital – at YOUR expense.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, is currently undergoing secret mental health assessments at HMP Belmarsh that could see him transferred to one of Britain’s three high-security psychiatric facilities, where annual costs soar to an eye-watering £325,000 per patient.
The staggering figure represents a jaw-dropping £268,000 MORE than the £57,000 it costs to keep the sadistic killer behind bars – leaving hard-working taxpayers to foot the massive bill.
Prison insiders claim the calculating murderer is “gaming the system” and is “very keen” to escape the harsh realities of Belmarsh – dubbed Britain’s toughest jail – for the relative luxury of hospitals like Broadmoor, Ashworth or Rampton.
“He knows he would be on easy street at any hospital,” a source revealed. Rudakubana has had the initial tests to see whether he can be classed as mentally ill and moved to a hospital unit. Conversations are happening now about his future.”
The revelations come as grieving families continue to grapple with the devastating loss of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven – whose lives were brutally cut short last July in Southport.
LUXURY LIFE AWAITS
If successful in his bid, Rudakubana would enjoy facilities that read more like a spa brochure than a secure unit. The £250million Broadmoor Hospital – completely revamped in 2019 – boasts:
- Landscaped gardens and outdoor spaces
- On-site café and shop
- Hair salon services
- Woodwork and ceramics workshops
- Art therapy rooms
- Sports facilities
- A “multi-faith sanctuary”
- Educational classrooms
Patients are encouraged to participate in arts, crafts, and social activities – a far cry from the 23-hour lockdowns common in high-security prisons.
“If he was moved, he would be kept in better conditions, with all the rooms single ones and less restrictions on things like TV and DVDs, plus visitors,” the source added.
FOLLOWING EVIL FOOTSTEPS
The child killer would be following in the footsteps of some of Britain’s most notorious criminals if transferred to Broadmoor. The hospital has housed:
- Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe
- Gangster Ronnie Kray
- Britain’s most violent prisoner Charles Bronson
- Lee Rigby’s killer Michael Adebowale
At Belmarsh, Rudakubana is currently locked up alongside Sir David Amess’s murderer Ali Harbi Ali and Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi – but sources say he’s desperate to escape the notorious jail.
The killer – who was handed one of the longest minimum terms in British legal history at 52 years – has already shown his violent nature behind bars, recently attacking a prison officer with scalding water.
MENTAL HEALTH ‘SMOKESCREEN’
Critics are questioning whether Rudakubana’s mental health claims are genuine, given his calculated planning of the Southport atrocity and his ability to stand trial.
The teenager had been under NHS mental health care from 2019 to 2023 through Alder Hey Children’s Hospital but “stopped engaging” with services. He was also referred to the Government’s Prevent anti-terror programme three times but was never accepted onto it.
During his sentencing in January, Mr Justice Goose noted there was no evidence Rudakubana was mentally ill, describing his crimes as “evil” and stating he would “likely never be released.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson confirmed that while “initial assessments” have taken place, no hospital referral has been “initiated” – but the mere possibility has sparked outrage.
VICTIMS’ AGONY CONTINUES
For the families of Alice, Bebe and Elsie, the prospect of their daughters’ killer enjoying enhanced conditions is a bitter pill to swallow.
Jenny Stancombe, Elsie’s mother, told the court during sentencing: “What you did was not only cruel and pure evil; it was the act of a coward.
Dance teacher Leanne Lucas, who survived the attack, revealed she cannot stay in her own home alone and glances back when passing strangers, fearing another attack.
The psychological scars run deep for the entire Southport community, where Rudakubana turned a joyful summer dance class into a scene of unimaginable horror.
TAXPAYER BURDEN
With annual costs at high-security hospitals reaching £325,000 per patient – compared to £251,000-£340,000 at different units – the financial implications are staggering.
At Broadmoor, where a bed costs commissioners £325,000 annually, the facilities were praised by NHS Trust chief executive Carolyn Regan as “epitomising the ethos of hope and recovery.
But for taxpayers already struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, funding a potential luxury lifestyle for a child killer adds insult to injury.
As one Belmarsh insider put it bluntly: “Others at Belmarsh think he is gaming the system.”
The Home Secretary has announced a public inquiry into the failures that allowed Rudakubana to slip through the net despite multiple warning signs. But for now, the focus remains on whether this calculated killer will succeed in his bid for a cushier existence – all at the public’s expense.
Image credit:
“Axel Rudakubana CCTV still 29 July 2024” by Merseyside Police, captured from CCTV footage (public domain – ineligible for copyright)
