The judge is continuing to talk as if the two defendants are present. He says “your sickening and pitiless conduct that day was in stark contrast to the women at the scene who tended Lee Rigby’s body.” He adds that the consequences of the murder have had a severe and lasting impact on Lee Rigby’s family.
Violence broken out in the Old Bailey dock today after Lee Rigby’s murderers began hurling abuse at the judge and fighting with prison guards.
In dramatic scenes, Michael Adebolajo, 29, and Michael Adebowale, 22, yelled ‘Allahu Akbar’ and ‘You (Britain) and America will never be safe’ as they were about to be jailed in London.
Adebolajo was given a whole-life jail term and Adebowale was sentenced to 45 years in prison – meaning he could be back on the streets by the time he is aged 67.
The killers had to be pinned to the ground by nine security guards and Rigby’s family began sobbing as they watched the incident in horror, being handed tissues by court staff.
The relatives were forced to get up from their seats, cowering away from the violence which was happening just feet away, according to reporters in court.
The prisoners were dragged down to the cells – one head first – and were sentenced in their absence by judge Justice Sweeney.
The extremists could be heard banging on the cell ceilings after being taken down as the judge condemned their ‘barbaric’ murder.
Earlier, the bereft widow of Rigby told the judge who sentenced his killers that their child will grow up seeing images of his dead father that ‘no son should have to endure’.
Rigby, 25, was ‘mutilated, almost decapitated and murdered’ by Adebowale and Adebolajo, who ambushed him outside his barracks in Woolwich, south-east London, on May 22 last year.
Rebecca Rigby said in her victim impact statement: ‘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.’
She spoke out after her husband’s family arrived at the Old Bailey wearing matching t-shirts demanding justice for the murdered soldier.