Outrage as brother of one of Lee Rigby's killers condemns judge for handing down full-life sentence after 'trial by public'
- Jeremiah Adebolajo says his sibling Michael was victim of Islamophobia
- Brother could be rehabilitated and judge gave public 'what they wanted'
- Adebolajo was given a 'whole life' term - Michael Adebowale given 45 years
- Public angry that BBC allowed man 'platform' to defend his family member.
The brother of one of Lee Rigby's killers said today that the decision to give his sibling a whole life prison sentence was Islamophobic.
Jeremiah Adebolajo believes Michael Adebolajo should not be forced to die behind bars and claims the judge in his Old Bailey trial caved in to 'pressure' after 'gave the public what they wanted'.
Last month Adebolajo, 29, was given a whole-life term, while Michael Adebowale, 22, was jailed for life with a minimum of 45 years.
Adebolajo was given the longest possible sentence because the judge believed he had no hope of rehabilitation, but his brother said today if released he would 'pose no danger to the public' and 'lead a very productive life were he to be released'.
Defence: Michael Adebolajo described himself as a 'soldier of Allah' and attempted to decapitate Drummer Rigby, but his brother Jeremiah, right, says his whole life sentence was Islamophobic
Brave life lost: Lee Rigby was walking innocently along a Woolwich road towards his barracks when he was run down and butchered
The British-born extremists mowed down Fusilier Rigby 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.
Accomplice: Michael Adebowale was jailed for life with a minimum of 45 years - meaning he could be back on the streets by the age of 67
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.
Today Jeremiah Adebolajo, who like his brother is a Muslim convert, told the BBC Radio 5 Live today that his sibling was unfairly treated.
He pointed to the sentencing of Pavlo Lapshyn, who was jailed for 40 years for killing a man and planning to bomb three mosques to start a 'race war' in Britain.
'It seems strange to me that a man can be sentence to (whole) life for the death of one man and another can be sentenced to 40 years for the death of one and the attempted murder of many others,' he told Victoria Derbyshire.
'I wonder what the difference is here, aside from the guilty plea, aside from that I see that someone has died in both cases.
'It seems strange that Justice Sweeney can suggest there is no prospect of rehabilitation for my brother but there is for the Ukrainian man who openly stated he wanted to start a race war
'Yes (it is Islamophobic). Not only that I think it was trial by the public. There was a lot of public outrage, as could be understood. The death of a soldier in any country would provoke that, but I would suggest that Justice Sweeney was giving in to that pressure'.
During their sentencing last month violence broke out in the Old Bailey dock and the killers began hurling abuse at the judge and fighting with prison guards.
Anger: The BBC has received criticism for allowing his brother on the air in the first place
Fight: After sentencing began the two killers 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
Taken away head first: Mr Justice Sweeney was forced to sentence the men in their absence after they were bundled out of the courtroom following their violent outburst
In extraordinary scenes, the two Muslim extremists yelled 'Allahu Akbar' and 'You (Britain) and America will never be safe' during their sentencing at the court in Central London.
Shocking: A blood-drenched Michael Adebolajo (pictured) told witnesses in a video his attack on Drummer Rigby was an act of revenge - 'an eye for an eye'
Justice Sweeney was forced to jail them while they banged on the ceilings of their cells below the courtroom.
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.’
Jeremiah Adebolajo also said his brother should not have been tried for murder.
'Lee Rigby was performing a public service. It would have been more fitting, I think, that my brother, a British citizen, be charged with treason for killing a soldier. It is the first time that a man has killed another man and been sentenced to a whole life tariff,' he said.
When asked if he should one day be released he said: 'I believe my brother would lead a very productive life were he to be released. Were he to be rehabilitated I think he would lead a productive life – I think it’s important not to forget that he has young children himself.'
Victoria Derbyshire also asked him if he had sympathy for Lee Rigby's family, but would only be drawn on his son Jack.
'I have a tremendous amount of sympathy towards the son of Lee Rigby who will grow up without a father, and I think my brother does too'.
Demand for justice: The bereft family of Lee Rigby wore t-shirts in his honour on the day his killers were sentence (Left to right) Stepfather Ian Rigby, his mother Lyn Rigby and sisters Sara McClure and Chelsea Rigby walked into the Old Bailey together
Moving: The only son of Lee Rigby, Jack, holds the hands of the loved-ones as he attended his father's funeral in July. His mother Rebecca told Justice Sweeney that he will grow up to see images of his father' horrific murder
Adebolajo is already appealing his conviction on technical legal grounds, using public funds to pay his legal fees.
His QC told the court that sentencing his client to life without parole would make him a 'martyr', while Adebowale's legal team said a whole-life term would be 'inhuman' for a man that age.
During their trial, Rigby's bereft family were forced to watch footage and hear gruesome accounts of the soldier being run down at 40mph and hacked to death in the street.
The jury, who were all offered counselling, took just 90 minutes to find the killers guilty of the fusilier’s murder, but not guilty of the attempted murder of police.
Before impact: This frame, taken from CCTV footage, shows a Vauxhall Tigra just about to crash into Lee Rigby as he crosses the road
Weapon: This battered car was used to crush the soldier against a sign in front. The streak of blood in front shows how they dragged his body into the street
Jeremiah Adebolajo concentrated on the case of Ukrainian white supremacist Pavlo Lapshyn, 25, who murdered a Muslim pensioner and bombed three mosques as he waged a one-man race war in Britain.
Just five days after arriving in the country last year he killed Mohammed Saleem by stabbing him three times from behind as the 82-year-old made his way home from evening prayers.
The ‘evil and calculating’ PhD student – who once posed with the British Ambassador when he was awarded the chance to work in Britain – also ordered bomb-making materials online as he plotted mass murder in a series of mosque attacks.
Guilty: Ukrainian born Pavlo Lapshyn admitted the murder of Mohammed Saleem, 82, who he stabbed as he walked home from a mosque, and also planting a series of bombs outside mosques
Horrifying: Nails recovered from the scene of one of three bombings planned by murderer Pavlo Lapshyn
Crazed: Pavlo Lapshyn catches a bus from Birmingham to Walsall calmly carrying a home made bomb in this green bag - incredible nobody was killed in the three bombings he planned
Lapshyn also admitted causing an explosion on July 12 near the Kanzal Iman mosque in Tipton, and engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts between April 24 and July 18 this year.
This included planting bombs near mosques in Walsall and Wolverhampton, researching locations to plant bombs and buying chemicals on the internet to make explosives.
