:00:00. > :00:00.all from us. Now we join our news teams where you
:00:00. > :00:07.Good evening. Welcome to North West Tonight.
:00:08. > :00:13.Once a Fusilier, always a Fusilier. Tributes to Lee Rigby as two men are
:00:14. > :00:17.convicted of his murder. His parents talk of their pain at his death and
:00:18. > :00:25.their pride in his service to the country.
:00:26. > :00:32.He died serving his country, doing what he believed in, is serving his
:00:33. > :00:34.country to preserve our way of life. Tonight we're live in Fusilier
:00:35. > :00:40.Rigby's hometown, Middleton, where an entire community feels a sense of
:00:41. > :00:44.loss. We'll be speaking to those who knew him.
:00:45. > :00:47.Also tonight, disappointment for BAE Systems workers in Lancashire as the
:00:48. > :00:55.United Arab Emirates pulls out of a deal for 60 Typhoon aircraft.
:00:56. > :00:59.And no smoke without fire ` why Preston's pub of the year has been
:01:00. > :01:19.told to stop burning wood in the city's smokeless zone.
:01:20. > :01:22.Fusilier Lee Rigby had dreamt of joining the army from the age of
:01:23. > :01:25.four. Growing up in Langley in Middleton, he was determined to join
:01:26. > :01:28.his local regiment. But last May, the father`of`one was singled out in
:01:29. > :01:32.a horrifying attack near his barracks in London, simply for being
:01:33. > :01:35.a soldier. He had survived a gruelling tour of Afganistan. But he
:01:36. > :01:38.was hacked to death on home soil by Michael Adebowale and Michael
:01:39. > :01:41.Adebolajo, who were today found guilty of his murder.
:01:42. > :01:45.Tonight, we'll be live from The Old Bailey in London with our reporter
:01:46. > :01:53.Dave Guest, and Roger is live in Middleton, the town where Lee Rigby
:01:54. > :01:57.grew up. Talk to people here in Middleton
:01:58. > :02:05.about Lee Rigby and they'll recall a young man full of life. A young man
:02:06. > :02:08.with a zest for life. A little boy who heard stories of his
:02:09. > :02:12.grandfather's time in the army, and whose mind was always made up that
:02:13. > :02:16.he too wanted to be a soldier. This was a community which came together
:02:17. > :02:20.on this very spot in the immediate aftermath of Lee Rigby's death in
:02:21. > :02:24.May. People for whom the horror of what happened to one of their own
:02:25. > :02:27.still appalls. Later in the programme, we'll hear from his
:02:28. > :02:29.friends, his former teachers, his army colleagues ` to whom he'll
:02:30. > :02:36.always be known as Riggers. And, always be known as Riggers. And,
:02:37. > :02:51.most poignantly of all, his family, whose loss is the greatest of all.
:02:52. > :02:59.Our chief reporter has been following today's developments.
:03:00. > :03:02.The place behind me is no stranger to the salacious, the sensational or
:03:03. > :03:05.the downright shocking. But the case which concluded today has been
:03:06. > :03:09.described as one of the most savage murder cases seen here in many a
:03:10. > :03:13.year. Lee Rigby, a lad from Langley who'd served Queen and country, was
:03:14. > :03:22.slain in a street a few miles from this spot.
:03:23. > :03:26.The case shocked the country at the time. The final moments of his life
:03:27. > :03:30.and his horrific death were replayed and revisited in graphic detail
:03:31. > :03:33.during the trial. At times, it all became too much for his family,
:03:34. > :03:38.who'd travelled down from Middleton to be here. Lee's mum Lyn said,
:03:39. > :03:41.after the verdicts, no amount of justice will bring Lee back. His
:03:42. > :03:46.wife Rebecca says they've lived through their toughest times. It's
:03:47. > :03:49.been especially tough for Lee's little boy Jack.
:03:50. > :03:57.Who can forget those heartbreaking images of him at Lee's funeral? In
:03:58. > :04:07.their statement, the family spoke of their determination to ensure Jack
:04:08. > :04:12.has a secure future. He served his country and we will
:04:13. > :04:20.now focus on building a future for his son Jack, making him as proud as
:04:21. > :04:26.`` of his father than we all are. He will be missed by all of his family
:04:27. > :04:28.and those who loved him. The murder of Lee Rigby caused
:04:29. > :04:32.widespread revulsion. As Stuart Flinders reports, it was a crime
:04:33. > :04:46.that was as senseless as it was shocking. He had survived a
:04:47. > :04:49.difficult tour of Afghanistan who left his colleagues dead. His family
:04:50. > :04:56.were relieved to have him back in the UK, but then this. A car was
:04:57. > :05:02.driven at him, and then it was described by a witness as a butcher
:05:03. > :05:14.attacking a piece of meat. Later, it was described commonly. `` calmly by
:05:15. > :05:20.the accused. He was a soldier that we spotted.
:05:21. > :05:26.The only reason that we have killed this man today is because Muslims
:05:27. > :05:31.are dying daily by these British soldiers.
:05:32. > :05:35.Michael Adebowale and Michael Adebolajo preached at passers`by
:05:36. > :05:41.whilst children work moved to safety. One woman confronted the
:05:42. > :05:48.killers, whilst another comforted the dying soldier.
:05:49. > :05:55.I heard someone say don't touch the body, so I lifted my head and my
:05:56. > :06:02.eyes met two hands, one carrying a revolver. He was carrying a knife.
:06:03. > :06:11.With no care for their own lives, the soldiers of Allah, according to
:06:12. > :06:15.them, confronted the police. They were immediately given first aid
:06:16. > :06:28.after being shot. During the trial, no remorse, no sense of the damage
:06:29. > :06:32.done that day in London. The murderers will have to wait
:06:33. > :06:34.until the New Year to find out what their punishment is. Prosecutors say
:06:35. > :06:39.that they will be pressing for the maximum penalty.
:06:40. > :06:42.The Crown Prosecution Service will be asking the court to find that
:06:43. > :06:47.this merger was motivated by terrorism, when the defendants come
:06:48. > :06:52.to be sentenced, said that all options under counterterrorism
:06:53. > :06:58.legislation are available to the judge.
:06:59. > :07:02.Meanwhile, the intelligence and security services are reviewing the
:07:03. > :07:07.circumstances of the's murder, in particular, white these men would
:07:08. > :07:14.more closely monitored, given that they were on the intelligence
:07:15. > :07:20.monitor. For now, Lee Rigby's family can rest assured that the men who
:07:21. > :07:26.murdered him have been brought to account.
:07:27. > :07:29.Lee was brought up just down the road from here. A life`long
:07:30. > :07:36.Manchester United fan, his family say he was a sports`mad teenager who
:07:37. > :07:39.was quiet but confident. You will hear from his uncle later, he said
:07:40. > :07:47.that you could never be angry with me for long, because he was always
:07:48. > :07:50.smiling `` with Lee Rigby. And also determined ` he was twice
:07:51. > :07:55.unsuccessful in joining the army, but didn't give up and got in third
:07:56. > :08:03.time around. He always kept in touch with home. He text did his mother
:08:04. > :08:07.the night before he died, calling her one in a million. He always
:08:08. > :08:20.found them from Afghanistan. His parents have been sharing their
:08:21. > :08:25.memories of their son with us. Lee died serving his country,
:08:26. > :08:29.serving his country to preserve our way of life and our freedom of
:08:30. > :08:36.speech and the opportunity to be able to walk the streets in this.
:08:37. > :08:40.That is what we believed in and that is what he believed he was doing in
:08:41. > :08:46.the Army. He was preserving our democracy and our country and all of
:08:47. > :08:50.the world, because he has been all over the world.
:08:51. > :08:58.Family meant the world to him. He made a lot of friends, treated them
:08:59. > :09:04.all like brothers. He always had a craving to do the Army. He was so
:09:05. > :09:09.determined. His grandad was always in the Army. He was so proud to be a
:09:10. > :09:18.Fusilier. I went into work and the screens
:09:19. > :09:24.that we have in work showed it on the TV in the canteen. I actually
:09:25. > :09:33.sat there and watched it, watched it all. I did not know. I tried Lee
:09:34. > :09:39.straightaway and I could not get hold of him. I thought to myself, it
:09:40. > :09:51.has to be Fusilier, because he has not phoned. `` it has got to be Lee.
:09:52. > :09:58.I went to sit and watch what they did to our Lee. I would not wish
:09:59. > :10:09.anyone, whoever they are, to go see the same thing. I don't think they
:10:10. > :10:20.should be able to come out and walk on the streets again.
:10:21. > :10:24.Lee Rigby's parents and there and everyone's thoughts are with them,
:10:25. > :10:32.particularly at this time of year as they prepare for Christmas without
:10:33. > :10:38.their son and for young Jack, Lee's two`year old son, who is without his
:10:39. > :10:42.father will stop Lee Rigby was a very popular young man.
:10:43. > :10:48.He played for all for the Middleton Boys, he went to the high school
:10:49. > :10:53.here. We have been speaking to some of his friends and a form each who
:10:54. > :10:59.told us that he was proud to serve as a soldier.
:11:00. > :11:07.When Lee Rigby became a drummer in the Army, he discovered a instrument
:11:08. > :11:12.he loved. He also met his best friend. He was a win's best man at
:11:13. > :11:28.his wedding, but Owen Farrell himself a pallbearer at his funeral.
:11:29. > :11:34.I used to speak to him about things. And to be able to speak to people
:11:35. > :11:40.about my feelings is a big thing. But the two were first and foremost
:11:41. > :11:46.soldiers, doing double duties on machine guns.
:11:47. > :11:50.We used to try and be better than each other. He used to remind me
:11:51. > :11:56.every day. Lee was always determined to be a
:11:57. > :12:00.soldier. He said his heart was to be a Fusilier. He trained for that
:12:01. > :12:06.career at this college in Rochdale. He knew what he wanted to do from
:12:07. > :12:11.day one. We ask them what they would like to do, and he said that he
:12:12. > :12:18.wanted to be a Fusilier and join the Army. He worked hard to be in.
:12:19. > :12:27.This biker was in the Army cadets with Lee. The two met in secondary
:12:28. > :12:32.school. After Lee's death, he arranged tribute bike rides to raise
:12:33. > :12:40.money. He was one of my heroes. We signed
:12:41. > :12:45.books of condolence and put in words for his family to read. But I wanted
:12:46. > :12:54.to keep his name going, so we organised these bike rides.
:12:55. > :12:58.Lee is a Fusilier remembered around the world, but it is amongst his
:12:59. > :13:04.friends, family and neighbours that his loss is felt the most.
:13:05. > :13:08.It is the support of the people here in Middleton, across the country and
:13:09. > :13:14.around the world that has been a real source of strength to Lee's
:13:15. > :13:20.family in the months since his death. Our reporter has been talking
:13:21. > :13:23.to Lee's uncle, a local councillor in Middleton, about the strength
:13:24. > :13:37.that they have had in their hours of darkness, and what might be Lee s
:13:38. > :13:44.legacy. The community has been amazing.
:13:45. > :13:48.Fundraising events, there is a trust fund for the sisters. Obviously, the
:13:49. > :13:54.fund for the sisters. Obviously the first few days were very difficult.
:13:55. > :13:58.I was at the doorstep and it was nine o'clock night, probably on the
:13:59. > :14:04.second night after his death. A young army cadet, no older than ten
:14:05. > :14:11.years old, walked up to the door, saluted me, laid down flowers,
:14:12. > :14:17.saluted and walked away. Little things like that are the moving
:14:18. > :14:19.things, rather than the small `` the large events. The small events get
:14:20. > :14:23.to you. What has it been like in the past
:14:24. > 0:07:27few months,