Lee Rigby’s boy will see images of father ‘no son should have to’, says widow

Off By Sharon Black

Rebecca Rigby’s victim impact statement read to Old Bailey, where estranged husband’s murderers are due to be sentenced

The son of murdered soldier Lee Rigby will be forced to see “images of his dad that no son should ever have to endure”, his widow has said.

A moving victim impact statement written by Rebecca Rigby was read to the Old Bailey on Wednesday, where her husband’s murderers, Michael Adebolajo, 29, and Michael Adebowale, 22, are due to be sentenced.

Prosecutor Richard Whittam QC read excerpts of the statement, in which Mrs Rigby described the effect of suddenly being in the public gaze after the brutal killing.

She said: “I was also living in the public gaze. I couldn’t go out or do anything. I felt like I didn’t want to go on. I saw people nudging and looking at me if I tried to walk down the street, it was surreal.

“Of all the feelings I have, the one thing that overrides everything is that I know my son will grow up and see images of his dad that no son should ever have to endure, and there is nothing I can do to change this.”

Adebolajo and Adebowale hit Fusilier Rigby, 25, in a car before hacking him to death near Woolwich barracks in south-east London on 22 May 2013.

Mrs Rigby said she had accepted her husband would be at risk when he went to serve in Afghanistan, but not in Britain, where he was based when he died.

She said: “When you wave someone off you accept that there is a chance you will never see them again. You do not expect to see this on the streets of the UK.”

theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

…read more