Axel Rudakubana has been sentenced for the murder of Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, and Bebe King, six, in Southport on July 29, 2024.

       Mr Justice Goose sentenced the evil Southport killer to a minimum term of 52 years behind bars. The judge said the murderer was likely to die in jail for the "sadistic" murder of the three young girls.

       The 18-year-old was sentenced in his absence at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday after indicating he would be “disruptive” if he was present in the courtroom.

       The details of this deeply distressing case have reopened the debate on appropriate punishments for crimes like this one.

       So what do you think? Should capital punishment be reintroduced? Vote in the poll and join the debate in the comments below. Can't see the poll below? Click here.

       The last instance of capital punishment in the UK took place in August 1964, when Gwynne Evans and Peter Allen were executed for murder.

       The following year, Parliament passed a law suspending the death penalty across Great Britain (this did not extend to Northern Ireland) for all crimes except high treason, “piracy with violence”, arson in royal dockyards, and espionage.

       It was only with the Human Rights Act coming into force in 1998 that the death penalty was banned under UK law in all circumstances.

       A 2022 YouGov poll has shown that 40 percent of people still support the death penalty, down from 51 percent in 2010.