Michael Adebolajo began yelling “that’s a lie” and “Allah akbar” as Justice Sweeney detailed how they had betrayed their religion as he was sentencing him and Michael Adebowale for the brutal murder of 25-year-old soldier Lee Rigby.
In extraordinary scenes the British-born Muslim extremists warned Britain and America “will never be safe” as they were violently wrestled to the ground by nine security men in the central London court.
Adebolajo, 29, was given a life sentence and Adebowale, 22, life with a minimum of 45 years, the sentencing made in their absence after they were dragged from the court to cells below where they could be heard yelling and banging on the walls.
The men ran Fusilier Rigby down in a car as he crossed a street near Woolwich barracks in south East London in May last year before they stood over him and hacked him to death to the point of decapitation.
Frenzied attack ... on drummer Lee Rigby of the 2nd Battalion in The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers who was stabbed to death on a London street. Picture: AP Source: AP
Passers-by looked on in horror at the scene with some filming on their mobile phones the killers, covered in blood and still holding knives, declaring why they killed the randomly selected soldier. They claimed it was revenge for Muslims dying at the hands of British troops in Afghanistan.
The Rigby family was in court crying at the violent scenes. Outside court police also had to contain wild scenes as demonstrators carrying Union Jack flags called for the men to face the death penalty. The far right British National Party and the English Defence League had created mock gallows erected in the middle of the street outside the Old Bailey court complex. Two men and one woman were arrested after scuffles broke out.
Life behind bars ... photographs of Michael Adebolajo, left, and Michael Adebowale. Picture: London Metropolitan Police Source: AFP
During the sentencing, the judge said the pair’s killing was sickening and pitiless, and Adebolajo particularly had no hope of rehabilitation.
“Your sickening and pitiless conduct was in stark contrast to the compassion and bravery shown by the various women at the scene who tended to Lee Rigby’s body and challenged what you had done and said,” he said.
He went on to say the broad daylight public killing of Fusilier Rigby was designed to attract maximum coverage and also “getting yourselves killed by armed officers who were bound to arrive at the scene”. The men were wounded after being shot by police who they demanded passers-by telephone.
Awaiting death ... CCTV footage released shows Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale waiting for police to arrive and talking to members of the public shortly after they murdered British soldier Lee Rigby. Picture: AFP Source: AFP
“You both exited the car armed with knives and over a period of around two to three minutes you butchered Lee Rigby — going, as you were well aware, far beyond what was needed to murder him,” Judge Sweeney said.
“You Adebolajo concentrated on his neck — hacking at it repeatedly with first a substantial cleaver type knife and then another knife, all in an attempt to decapitate him for maximum horrific effect. In the end you failed but in the process you caused horrendous injuries as shown in the materials before the court.
“You Adebowale concentrated on Lee Rigby’s torso stabbing him a number of times in the chest in frenzied fashion and with severe force. It is no exaggeration to say that what the two of you did resulted in a bloodbath. Aspects of all this were seen, as they were intended to be, by members of the public.”
Extremists v extremists ... protesters, many from far-right political organisations, demonstrated outside the Old Bailey before the sentencing. Picture: Oli Scarff / Getty Source: Getty Images
After the sentence, the family of Fusilier Rigby said justice had been served.
In an emotional victim impact statement read to court, the soldier’s widow Rebecca Rigby said: “Of all the feelings I have, the one thing that overrides everything is that I know my son (Jack) will grow up and see images of his dad that no son should ever have to endure, and there is nothing I can do to change this.”
Earlier in the hearing, Prosecutor Richard Whittam QC also read parts of a statement from the Afghanistan veteran’s stepfather, Ian Rigby.
He said: “After all he had been through in Afghanistan, all Lee was doing was just walking through London. Just seeing on the television and seeing the violence of it you just can’t comprehend. You take it all in and it doesn’t click in your head, it is like being somewhere else.
“You’re watching it without being actually there.”
Michael Adebolajo .... charges toward police officers who arrive at the scene of the murder. Source: AFP
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