LONDON, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- A British teenager was sentenced on Thursday to a minimum of 52 years in prison for the murder of three young girls in a knife attack at a dance class in Southport last July.

Axel Rudakubana, 18, "savagely killed" Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, Bebe King, 6, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, over the course of 15 minutes during a Taylor Swift-themed dance session, Judge Julian Goose said during sentencing.

Judge Goose noted that a life sentence without parole could not be imposed as Rudakubana was under 18 at the time of the crime. However, he remarked that the teenager is likely to "never be released" and will "remain in custody for the rest of his life."

Rudakubana faced additional charges, including producing the poison ricin, possessing a kitchen knife, and having an al-Qaida manual. He pleaded guilty to all charges earlier this week.

Gasps and sobs echoed in the courtroom as CCTV footage of the attack was shown on Thursday.

Prosecutors described Rudakubana as having an "obsession with violence, killing, and genocide," supported by violent images and materials related to various wars found at his home.

The court heard that Rudakubana had been referred to the anti-terrorism prevention program three times. However, on each occasion, it was determined that he did not meet the intervention threshold.

Rudakubana was removed from court twice during the proceedings after shouting and disrupting the hearing from the dock.

The attack also left eight other children and two adults injured.

Following the tragedy, riots erupted across Britain, fueled by false online claims that Rudakubana was an asylum seeker who had entered the country by boat. Enditem

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