Lee Rigby murderers sentenced to life in prison

By David Barrett, and Claire Carter

The Islamist killers of Drummer Lee Rigby erupted into violence in an Old Bailey courtroom as they
were sentenced for murder.

Michael Adebolajo, 29, and Michael Adebowale, 22, had to be manhandled out of court by security
guards after being told by Mr Justice Sweeney that their crime was a “betrayal of Islam”.

Adebolajo screamed at the judge as he was manhandled down the dock stairs in the historic Court
Number 2 but, in scenes lasting several minutes, his co-defendant was held to the floor and cuffed
before being carried downstairs head first.

Relatives of Drummer Rigby, who were sitting just three feet away from the dock, stood up and
cowered away from the violence.

Eight dock officers wrestled with the killers, who hacked the 25-year-old soldier to death in May last
year after running him over near his barracks in Woolwich, south-east London.

Angered by the judges’ comments about Islam, Adebowale stood up and shouted: “That’s a lie. It’s not
a betrayal of Islam. You don’t know what Islam is.”

The struggle erupted as the murderer yelled: “I swear by Allah that America and Britain will never
have any safety. Allahu Akbar [God is Great].”

After the defendants had been removed Mr Justice Sweeney resumed his sentencing to give
Adebolajo a “whole-life” tariff, meaning he will spend the rest of his life in jail.

Adebowale was given life with a minimum term of 45 years.

The judge said the pair both became extremists and decided to “murder a soldier in public daylight”
to advance their extremist cause.

He described the scene of the murder as a “bloodbath” and said they “butchered” Drummer Rigby.

Mr Justice Sweeney said the pair had not shown any regret for the killing, adding: “I’m sure this was
a murder done for the purpose of advancing a political, religious or racial cause.

“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.”
Adebolajo, who wanted to be called by the name Mujaahid Abu Hamza, was dressed in a black Islamic
robe and had refused to stand up in court.

Lawyers for Adebowale, who was dressed in a black skull cap and black hooded top, referred to him
by the name Ishmael Abdullah.

Richard Whittam QC, prosecuting, said they should both receive whole life terms because of the
severity of their crime and its political motivation. David Gottlieb QC, for Adebolajo, had argued that
a whole life tariff would not be appropriate for his client.

“The first defendant (Adebolajo) is not so depraved and wicked that he is incapable of redemption in
the future,” he told the court, adding that Adebolajo was a “sincere but misguided person who has
committed a wicked act”.

Abbas Lakha QC, for Adebowale, argued that a whole life tariff would be “inhuman” because it would
“extinguish all hope of release”.

The fanatics were convicted of murder last December but their sentencing was put on hold while the
Court of Appeal decided whether judges were free to impose whole life tariffs following a
controversial ruling by European judges.

Last week appeal judges backed existing British laws which say that in “exceptional” cases the most
heinous criminals can be sent to jail for the rest of their lives.

Both killers were born into Christian families and converted to Islam.

Adebolajo became interested in the religion in his teens and eventually became involved in Islamist
extremism.

His activities escalated in 2010 when he was detained in Kenya attempting to cross the border into
Somalia. It is believed he intended to join al-Shabaab, the Somali terrorist group.

Adebowale and Adebolajo, who both grew up in east London, claimed they were “soldiers of Allah” and
that the killing was a legitimate act because Britain was at war with Muslim people.

During their trial at the Old Bailey, Adebowale, from Greenwich, south-east London, offered no
evidence in his defence, but Adebolajo, from Romford, Essex, gave a rambling testimony during which
he told the jury he loved al-Qaeda.

1. Summarise the article in 50-100 words.

2. Write a letter to the Department of Justice, complaining that Adebowale should have
also been given a life sentence rather than a minimum of 45 years.