BREAKING NEWS

Ringleader of group which killed Arab teen gets life in prison

MAY 3, 2016 19:14

The Jerusalem District Court on Tuesday sentenced Yosef Haim Ben David to life in prison plus 20 years for being the ringleader in the murder of Muhammad Abu Khdeir on July 2, 2014.

Despite admitting regret, saying, "I apologize and ask forgiveness," the court threw the book at Ben David almost right after sentencing arguments concluded. The quick decision was unusual with courts usually taking days or even weeks to decide sentencing after hearing arguments from the sides.

A lawyer for the Abu Khdeir family said he had filed a request with Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan to demolish the Ben David family house.

On April 19, despite an eleventh hour insanity plea in December, the Jerusalem District Court convicted Ben David of the murder.

Rejecting the insanity plea, the court wrote that, “at the time of the perpetrating of the crime, the accused was not psychotic, understood his actions well, was culpable for his actions, in control of them, had no disturbance in judging reality and had the ability to prevent commission of the crimes.”

In February, the court sentenced two minors who had already been convicted of the murder - one to life in prison and one to 21 years in prison.

Abu Khdeir, a 16-year-old Arab from Shuafat in east Jerusalem was abducted, burned and brutally murdered on July 2, 2014 while waiting to enter a mosque.

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