Michael Adebowale has won the right to appeal the life sentence he was given for the murder of Lee Rigby
One of Lee Rigby's killers has been given the right to appeal against his life sentence due to mental health problems.
Michael Adebowale, 22, was given a 45-year minimum term for murdering the soldier in Woolwich last year in an attack which shocked Britain.
It was confirmed this morning that the 22-year-old will now be allowed to appeal against his punishment after he was transferred to Broadmoor Hospital.
Adebowale was jailed alongside Michael Adebolajo, 29, in February after the pair ran over Fusilier Lee Rigby in a car before attacking him with knives and a meat cleaver.
Adebolajo was given a whole-life sentence, meaning he will never be released from prison.
Adebowale had been serving the first months of his prison term at Belmarsh high-security prison in south-east London.
But he was moved to a mental health unit at Broadmoor two weeks ago after reportedly 'hearing voices' and suffering 'psychotic episodes'.
It emerged this morning that, because of his mental health, he will now be able to appeal against his sentence in a bid to win an early release.
After being told of Adebowale's prison transfer on what would have been the day after Drummer Rigby's 27th birthday, his family have branded the latest decision 'a joke'
His mother, Lyn, told The Sun the protracted legal case meant the 'heartache never stops' for her and makes it 'impossible' to grieve.
A judicial spokesman today confirmed the appeal would go ahead, but said a date for the hearing at London's Royal Courts of Justice has not yet been arranged.
Father-of-one Lee Rigby was just 25 when he was brutally murdered as he walked back to his barracks in Woolwich on May 22 last year.
Sentencing Adebowale and Adebolajo after their trial, Mr Justice Sweeney said: '[Lee Rigby] had done absolutely nothing to deserve what you did to him.'
He said the pair created 'a bloodbath', adding: 'You both gloried in what you had done.'
Father-of-one Lee Rigby died after he was attacked as he returned to his barracks in Woolwich last May
Drummer Rigby's mother, Lyn, has hit out at the decision, which she said 'makes it impossible to grieve.
Is this some sort of joke? he's only been in prison five minuets, and already he's going for an appeal.
Adebowale hacked Lee Rigby to death with the other murdering bastard Abedolajo. So now Adebowale is playing the mental health card, and because he's black, he will get away with it.
They have moved him to Broadmoor and he can now appeal for early release. Ian Brady's in Broadmore, no early release for him. Stuart Sutcliff is in Broadmore and no early release for him either, so why is it ok for Adebowale to try and get early release.
Brady and Sutcliff are both mental cases and they will never be released, so why should Adebowale, if he has mental problems, then he's in the right place, and he can rot in broadmoor with the rest of them in there.