The judge has sentenced 29 years old Michael Adebolajo to whole-life term while Michael Adebowale, 22, was jailed for life with a minimum of 45 years - meaning he could be back on the streets by the age of 67.
During the court session, sentencing began, violence broke out after both men began hurling abuse at the judge and fighting with prison guards, they were pinned to the ground by nine security guards and taken back to the cells. The judge was forced to sentence the men in their absence after they were bundled out of the courtroom following their violent outburst.
The struggle in the dock was triggered when the killers, both wearing Islamic robes, reacted angrily to comments that Mr Justice Sweeney made about their extremist beliefs. He told them:
‘You each converted to Islam some years ago. Thereafter you were radicalised and each became an extremist, espousing views which, as has been said elsewhere, are a betrayal of Islam.’
Adebowale protested that this was a lie, ranting about America and Britain, and his accomplice joined in, screaming ‘Allahu Akbar' and hurling abuse at the prison guards who grappled him to the ground.
Both men were grabbed around the face as guards struggled to control them, and taken down to the cells. The soldier's family were visibly distressed, and one relative needed medical treatment.
The judge made sure that the family were okay before starting his sentencing remarks again. He said that the murder also betrayed ‘the peaceful Muslim communities who give so much to our country’.
The judge said the men had carried out the killing to show ‘your extremist views, to murder a soldier in public in broad daylight and to do so in a way that would generate maximum media coverage including getting yourselves killed by armed officers who were bound to arrive at the scene’.
Describing how the pair mowed Rigby down at 30-40mph, he said: ‘He had done absolutely nothing to deserve what you went on to do to him.’
DailymailUK
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