One of the killers of Fusilier Lee Rigby, who murdered the soldier on the streets of London, is trying to wriggle out of his whole life sentence.
Michael Adebolajo was filmed ranting into a camera, the blood of his victim on his hands, saying:
“The only reason we have killed this man today is because Muslims are dying daily by British soldiers. And this British soldier is one … By Allah, we swear by the almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you until you leave us alone. So what if we want to live by the Sharia in Muslim lands?”
But on Wednesday he is expected to renounce violence in order to lower the number of years he must spend behind bars, and claim he is ‘no longer a Soldier of Allah’.
A report published last week by Parliament revealed that hue had been arrested at a violent protest. He was also a speaker at an event organised by ‘Unite Against Fascism’ at the Harrow Central Mosque where he was recorded saying:
“Don’t be scared of them, do not be scared of the police of the cameras. You are only here to please Allah, you are not here for any other reason.”
His accomplice, Michael Adebowale, used Facebook to contact another extremist, discussing his plans five months before carrying out the murder.
The fanatical Muslim was also arrested in Kenya in 2010 after authorities believed he was planning to train with the Al-Qaeda linked terrorist group Al-Shabaab.
Yet despite this track record of religious fanaticism and violence Adebolajo, who has received hundreds of thousands in legal aid for his initial trial and the appeal, wants to tell judges he has renounced his previous beliefs of violence and murder in the name of religion.
The Mirror reports a source close to the case saying: “It is as if it has suddenly hit home with him what a whole life term really means.”
“He now understands that he will never get out of prison, and he is going to be behind bars for the rest of his life.”
“At his age it means the next 50 or 60 years without prospect of release.
“He is prepared to say he is not a ‘Soldier of Allah’ any more. Itremains to be seen if the judges believe that.”
Adebolajo described the killing of Fusilier Rigby as a “military operation” and was filmed, bloodied machete in hand, threatening more violence in the West.
During his trial he tried to claim that he was a soldier fighting for his religious beliefs in a holy war.
He was recently moved from Belmarsh prison in London to Frankland jail in County Durham amid claims he was trying to radicalise other Belmarsh inmates.
The Ministry of Justice has confirmed he is appealing his sentence.
A spokesman said the case would be heard on the 3rd December at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.
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