The mother of murdered soldier Lee Rigby said she told her son it was "time for you to rest in peace" as she watched two men being sentenced over his killing yesterday

The struggle in the dock at the Old Bailey was triggered when Adebolajo and Adebowale - both wearing Islamic robes - reacted angrily to comments that Mr Justice Sweeney made about their extremist beliefs.

Adebolajo and Adebowale appear at the Old Bailey in front of Mr Justice Sweeney. Credit: ITV News/Priscilla Coleman

He told them: "You each converted to Islam some years ago. Thereafter you were radicalised and each became an extremist, espousing views which, as has been said elsewhere, are a betrayal of Islam."

Adebowale protested that this was a lie, ranting about America and Britain, and his accomplice joined in, screaming "allahu akbar" and hurling abuse at the prison guards who grappled him to the ground.