THE RELIGION OF PEACE: Court Hears How British Soldier was ‘Murdered, mutilated and almost decapitated’ by Muslims on a London street
A Muslim convert held a British soldier by the hair and tried to hack off his head ‘like a butcher attacking a joint of meat’ after knocking him down with a car at 40mph, the Old Bailey heard today.
Drummer Lee Rigby was ‘mutilated, almost decapitated and murdered’ by Michael Adebowale, 22, and Michael Adebolajo, 28, who ambushed him outside military barracks in Woolwich, South East London, the jury was told.
The father-of-one, 25, almost had his head sliced off when his ‘motionless’ body was attacked in a ‘cowardly and callous’ execution, the prosecution has said.
The family, fiancée and estranged wife of Lee Rigby were at the Old Bailey, but left the courtroom in tears when the jury was shown CCTV of the moment he was knocked down, dragged into the road and hacked to death.
Opening the case against them today, a jury was told the men committed a ‘heinous’ act.
Richard Whittam QC said Drummer Rigby was hit by their car at up to 40mph as he crossed the road, leaving him helpless on the ground, before his alleged killers dragged him into the road.
‘The two men were armed with a meat cleaver and knives. They also had a firearm, a revolver, with them,’ Mr Whittam said.
‘The driver (Adebolajo) was carrying a cleaver in his hand. He knelt down by Lee Rigby and took hold of his hair. He then repeatedly hacked at the right side of his neck just below the jawline.
‘At the same time as Michael Adebolajo used the meat cleaver, Michael Adebowale was using a knife to stab and cut at Lee Rigby’s body.’
Amanda Bailey saw the events from inside her Peugeot 206, the jury heard.
She saw the Tigra strike Fusilier Rigby and carry him until the car crashed into a road sign.
‘The young man flew off the bonnet and landed about two feet in front of the car,’ Mr Whittam said.
‘She (Bailey) saw that his eyes were open but they looked frozen.’
Miss Bailey says she saw the driver of the car get out with a meat cleaver in his hand and hack at Mr Rigby’s neck up to nine times with ‘considerable force.’
