Islamic State 'Beatle' gets 8 life terms for US hostages killings

A federal judge on Friday sentenced a key member of an Islamic State cell known as the Beatles for their English accents to eight concurrent life terms without parole in the abduction, abuse and deaths of four Americans, including two journalists, in Syria. The US district court judge sentenced El Shafee Elsheikh, 33, in a ruling the families and friends of his victims said provided "a bit of justice".
Four months ago a jury found the former British citizen guilty of charges that included lethal hostage-taking and conspiracy to commit murder. He was found guilty in April. "The behaviour of this defendant can only be described as horrific, barbaric, brutal and of course criminal", the judge said. Elsheikh was born in Sudan and raised in London. agencies