A member of the ISIS Beatles has been jailed for life for his role in the brutal hostage-taking and killings of journalists and aid workers.
Alexanda Amon Kotey showed no emotion as Judge Thomas Selby Ellis delivered his verdict at a US federal court while members of his victims' families watched on.
The 38-year-old Islam convert originally from west London, who was known as Jihadi Ringo, was sentenced today at the Federal Court in Alexandria, Virginia.
He was given a life sentence today after carrying out wanton acts of brutality in Syria in the mid-2010s.
He had pleaded guilty to a host of charges relating to US victims only, although the families of other murdered hostages, including British humanitarians David Haines and Alan Henning, read impact statements to the court before sentencing.
Kotey was given a life sentence for each of the eight counts he has pleaded guilty to, which are due to run concurrently.
Judge Ellis described his actions as "egregious, violent and inhumane."
Speaking of Kotey's victims Judge Ellis said: "These were not prisoners of war, these weren't soldiers in the field...they were soldiers for good."
Mr Haines' family including his wife Dragana, daughters Athea and Bethany and his brother Mike Haines all ready statements in court today.
Mr Haines addressed Kotey directly in court and forgave him.
He described his brother as a "hero" and "a force for good" who had an "unrelenting desire" to help others.
He said: "That was the fire that was in his belly."
"It should
Speaking to Kotey, he continued: "You have inflicted more pain than I can ever put into words... our lives will never be the same again."
"For too long now, you and your cohort have held power over me and my family. I am no longer willing to let that happen.
"Today I can say to you, you no longer have power over me and mine. I forgive you."
Dragana Haines was less forgiving, and said: "For all, I care you can live long and suffer."
Athea Haines, 11, who was just four years old when she lost her father, said his death had "affected my life in so many ways".
She told the court: "Sometimes I get sad when I see my friends laughing and playing with their fathers. It's not easy to be the girl in school whose dad was killed by terrorists."
Following the 13 impact statements read in court, the judge said: "We have all witnessed (the) exceptionally moving, heart-rending statements of these victims' families.
be a reminder of what we knew about the hostages. Countries celebrate heroes and we should celebrate these individuals who demonstrated courage, purpose and compassion under the most difficult of circumstances.
"The victims of the hostage-taking by ISIS are undeniably heroes."
Kotey was involved in the hostage-taking and detention of Steven Sotloff, a 31-year-old American-Israeli journalist who was grabbed in Syria and tortured before Mohammed Emwazi - known as 'Jihadi John' - beheaded him in September 2014.
Footage of the brutal murder was shared online.
He also admitted taking freelance American reporter James Foley hostage.
A video of the 40-year-old's death by beheading in an unknown patch of desert by a masked, black-clad IS member was also shared widely online.
In it Emwazi, who was killed by a drone in 2015, demanded that the US stop airstrikes on Syria.
Kotey also helped seize American aid worker Peter Kassig, whose severed head was featured in a photograph with Emwazi, and Kayla Mueller, whose family were sent photos of her bruised body wearing a black hijab.
He admitted his guilt to eight charges in September last year, apparently agreeing to fully co-operate with authorities as part of his plea agreement.
Kotey said when he departed the UK he held "the belief and understanding that the Islamic concept of armed jihad was a valid and legitimate cause and means by which a Muslim defends his fellow Muslim against injustice".
He admitted his role in capturing hostages and said when his involvement in that came to an end, he worked in IS's recruitment division, as a sniper and in the terror group's "English media department".
Kotey's co-defendant, El Shafee Elsheikh, was convicted this month of his role in the murder plot.
He was also present for the victim impact statements and he will be sentenced on August 12 after being convicted of his role in the murder plot.
The terror cell also comprised Aine Davis, who was jailed in Turkey in 2017.
Kotey was sentenced on eight counts, four counts of hostage taking resulting in death; conspiracy to commit hostage taking resulting in death; conspiracy to murder United States citizens outside of the United States; conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, hostage taking and murder, resulting in death; and conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organisation resulting in death.
He may yet be returned to England to serve part of his sentence, where he is likely to face fresh charges against other victims, such as Mr Haines and Mr Henning, who were also beheaded by the IS cell.
In a 2019 interview with the Mirror, Kotey said he had a Syrian wife and three girls, then aged five, three and one.
When asked about the beheadings, he said: “I didn’t condemn it. That was the environment.”
In September Mr Foley's mother Diane Foley came face-to-face with Kotey in a US court.
Asked if there was any way in which he could make amends, Ms Foley told BBC Radio 4's Today programme : "I don't know, that's up to him.
"I didn't get any indication that he was interested in that.
"But I would hope that in time that he might, just because of the extent of the evil that he has committed.
"I don't know any soul that could live with that, but that's just my opinion.
"All of us would like to know where the remains of our children are.
"Also I would very much like to know if other people are still living who also were involved."
