Two British Nigerians Get Life Imprisonment For Killing British Soldier

Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale were sentenced at the Old Bailey by Mr Justice Sweeney, who had waited for a key appeal court ruling on whole life terms before deciding the men's fate.

One of the Muslim fanatics who murdered soldier Lee Rigby has been sentenced to die behind bars and the other jailed for at least 45 years for the horrifying killing.

Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale were sentenced at the Old Bailey by Mr Justice Sweeney, who had waited for a key appeal court ruling on whole life terms before deciding the men's fate.

Adebolajo, 29, was given a whole life term while Adebowale, 22, was jailed for life with a minimum of 45 years.

The British-born extremists mowed Fusilier Rigby down in a car before hacking him to death in the street in front of horrified onlookers near Woolwich Barracks in south east London in May last year.

They both claimed that they were "soldiers of Allah" and were motivated by the plight of Muslims abroad to carry out the killing, and have shown no remorse.

After sentencing began the two men shouted at Mr Justice Sweeney in protest at his remarks and were pinned to the ground by several security guards and taken back to the cells.

The men were convicted of murdering Fusilier Rigby by running him down in a car and then hacking him to death in a trial which concluded in December last year                        

Mr Justice Sweeney was forced to sentence the men in their absence after they were bundled out of the courtroom following their violent outburst.

Fusilier Rigby's family sobbed as the killers shouted across the historic courtroom, with Adebolajo shouting Allahu Akbhar, and Adebowale calling out "that's a lie" and "it's not a betrayal of Islam" as the judge told them they had been radicalised.

The judge said the pair's behaviour was "sickening and pitiless", and that Adebolajo 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."