A court in London has found two men guilty of killing a British soldier, Lee Rigby near a military barracks in Southeast London in May.
In a verdict that took about 90 minutes to come at the Old Bailey Court in London, the two were found not guilty of attempted murder of a police officer.
Michael Adebolajo, 29, and Michael Adebowale, 22, had pleaded not guilty to both charges. The two men are expected to be sentenced in January.
As he was led out of court after the verdict, Adebolajo faced the media and kissed his Quran.
Cell phone footage replayed in court at the trial showed Adebolajo, still clutching a meat cleaver in his bloody hands, ranting that the killing was “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” for British soldiers killing Muslims overseas.
In a statement given outside the court, the soldier’s family gave their thanks for the “overwhelming support” they had received and for the help to get justice for Rigby.
Read by Detective Inspector, Pete Sparks, the family statement said that his relatives were proud of how Rigby had served his country.
“This is the toughest time of our lives. No one should have to go through what we’ve been through as a family. We are satisfied that justice has been done, but unfortunately no amount of justice will bring Lee back,” the statement said.
“These people have taken him away from us forever, but his memory lives on in all of us and we will never forget him.”
The family, asking to be left alone to grieve in private, said that they would now focus on the future of Rigby’s young son, Jack.
