Lee Rigby's distraught family leave court in tears after his Muslim killers show no remorse

A smile... then a kiss of the Koran: Lee Rigby's distraught family leave court in tears after his Muslim killers show no remorse as they are found GUILTY of hacking him to death in London street

Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale found guilty in 90 minutes

However the killers were cleared of attempted murder of police on May 22

Adebolajo kissed the Koran and smiled as verdicts were read to Old Bailey

Extremists had denied murder on the basis they were 'soldiers of Allah'

Lee Rigby's family say afterwards that justice has been done after trial

'No one should have to go through what we have been through as a family'

His mother Lyn said: 'Their aim was to divide, to cause conflict, to set people against each other. Lee's death has actually united people'

PM: 'The nation must confront poisonous narrative of extremism'

MI5 had contact with Adebolajo from 2010 up until he carried out killing

His brother Jeremiah says Lee Rigby's murder had 'obvious' justification

Gesture: After the guilty verdict was read Adebolajo kissed the Koran he had held throughout the three-week trial

Adebolajo had admitted they executed the father-of-one but claimed they were not murderers because they are 'soldiers of Allah' at 'war' with Britain over its foreign policy.

By MARTIN ROBINSON

The distraught family of Lee Rigby left court in tears today as one of his remorseless killers smiled and kissed the Koran after he was found guilty of his murder.

Muslim fanatic Michael Adebolajo, 28, made the incendiary gesture to the Old Bailey courtroom before he was taken down to the cells by prison guards.

Fusilier Rigby, 25, was 'mutilated, almost decapitated and murdered' by Michael Adebowale, 22, and Adebolajo, who ambushed him outside his barracks in Woolwich, South East London on May 22.

During their trial Lee 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 will be 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.

Through Detective Inspector Pete Sparks, his loved ones said: 'No one should have to go through what we have been through as a family.

'We are satisfied that justice has been done, but unfortunately no amount of justice will bring Lee back.

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'These people have taken him away from us forever but his memory lives on in all of us and we will never forget him.

'We are very proud of Lee, who served his country, and we will now focus on building a future for his son Jack, making him as proud of Lee as we all are.

'Lee will be sorely missed by his siblings, nieces, nephew and all of those who loved him.

'We now ask that we are left alone to grieve through our loss.'

David Cameron said the nation had to confront the ‘poisonous narrative of the extremism’.

Speaking after the verdicts were announced, the Prime Minister told reporters in Brussels: ‘The whole country was completely shocked by the murder of Lee Rigby and the whole country united in condemnation of what happened, and I'm sure everyone will welcome these verdicts today.

‘I think it also shows that we have to redouble our efforts to confront the poisonous narrative of the extremism and violence that lay behind this and make sure that we do everything to beat it in our country.’

Home Secretary Theresa May said his death 'united the entire nation in condemnation'.

Speaking outside court building, Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick, who leads Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism teams, said: 'Of course we utterly respect the court's decision in finding the two men not guilty of attempted murder of a police officer.

'But I would also like to pay tribute to those firearms officers who were faced with a terrifying situation and displayed extreme courage and professionalism'.

Message: Through Detective Inspector Pete Sparks, Lee Rigby's loved ones said: 'No one should have to go through what we have been through as a family'

Chilling words of bloodied man is caught on film

Judge Justice Sweeney had earlier expressed his 'gratitude and admiration' for the soldier's family and told jurors: 'It's no doubt a case that is going to stay with us all for a long time.'

His mother also said in a television interview released today that her 'brave' son has 'become a figurehead to unite the country and bring people back together'.

Witnesses to his death said Muslim convert Adebolajo had held the British soldier by the hair and tried to hack off his head 'like a butcher attacking a joint of meat'.

The father-of-one, 25, almost had his head sliced off when his 'motionless' body was attacked in a 'cowardly and callous' execution.

The two men, armed with a rusty ‘cowboy’ revolver, then dragged his body into the road so everyone could see their ‘barbarous acts’, the court heard.

Father-of-one Mr Rigby, from Middleton, Rochdale, Lancashire, died from multiple wounds after being attacked shortly after 2.20pm on May 22.

Mr Rigby was seen returning home to the barracks by train and on foot from his work at the Tower of London.

As he crossed the road he was suddenly hit from behind by a Vauxhall Tigra driven by Adebolajo, leaving him helpless on the ground. Adebowale was in the passenger seat holding the weapons.

He was then mutilated and ‘almost decapitated'.

One bystander said Adebolajo had ‘pure evil’ in his eyes as he hacked the 25-year-old soldier to death with a meat cleaver.

Another described how the men behaved like ‘animals’ as they mutilated their victim.

Radical Islam Watch