An Islamic State supporter who drove a truck into a busy New York street in the deadliest terror attack since 9/11 has been given multiple life sentences.
Sayfullo Saipov killed eight people when he drove a truck into pedestrians and cyclists in 2017.
He was given 10 life sentences in addition to a further 260 years on Wednesday as the victim’s relatives and survivors confronted the Uzbekistan national in court.
He had been saved from the death penalty after a jury failed to unanimously agree during a court hearing last week. But he was told he will serve his sentence without the possibility of parole.
During the sentencing, the 35-year-old was told that he had “destroyed so many lives” by the judge who also noted his “sheer unrepentant nature”.
Monica Missio, the mother of victim Nicholas Cleves told the courtroom: “It disgusts me that he gets to wake up every day while my son does not.
“His barbarism and cruelty fills me with rage.”
Rachel Pharn, said she could forgive the terrorist from the impact on her but not for the suffering he had caused to others who had come to hear the sentencing.
She added: “When I look around the room, when I think of all the pain you caused, that I cannot forgive. That is between you, them and Allah.”
Saipov, now 35, rented a truck to attack random pedestrians and cyclists in Manhattan’s West Side on the evening of Halloween 2017.
During the attacked he killed five tourists from Argentina, a 31-year-old from Belgium who was visiting, and two US nationals, a 32-year-old financial worker and a 23-year-old software engineer - 12 others were also injured.
Saipov shouted “God is great” as he left the truck and was shot by police officers.
He had hoped the attack would help him gain membership to the terrorist group and suggested he had been unmoved by the witness testimony as he praised the terror group.
