IS ‘Beatle’ told to rot in hell as he is jailed for life in US

Murdered British aid worker’s daughter pleads with Alexanda Kotey ‘to tell us location of victims’

A BRITISH-BORN member of the Islamic State execution squad known as the “Beatles” was told to “rot in hell” as he was sentenced to eight life terms in a US court. Alexanda Kotey, 38, originally from Paddington, west London, was jailed on charges including hostage-taking and conspiracy to murder.

While he was led away Kotey was approached to within a few feet by Bethany Haines, daughter of the murdered British aid worker David Haines, who said: “I hope you go rot in hell.”

It followed more than a dozen statements from victims’ families to the court, near Washington DC, which caused the judge to become emotional.

Athea Haines, 11, a daughter of Mr Haines, who was four when he died, said: “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.”

Bethany, 24, said: “I wake up during the night hearing my Dad’s screams as he is being tortured by these men.”

Addressing Kotey, she said: “The only thing you can do that would help the victims would be to give up the location of the remains of our loved ones.” Kotey is expected to serve the first 15 years at a “supermax” prison in Colorado, where Abu Hamza is also held, before being transferred to the UK to serve the rest of his life in jail.

His lawyers told the court that returning to the UK to be near his family was “the one thing he wants”.

Kotey’s lawyer said his crimes were “some of the worst the world has ever seen”, but that he had admitted them, co-operated with the government, and hoped to meet with victims’ families.

Judge Thomas Selby Ellis said the crimes were “horrendous, egregious, violent and inhumane”. He told Kotey: “These weren’t prisoners of war, these weren’t soldiers in the field.

“They were soldiers, but soldiers for good, soldiers for selfless giving.

“The victims of the hostage-taking by Isis are undeniably heroes.

“You seem to have some remorse, I’m not sure how much. If there is an afterlife, you can make recompense there.”

The judge added: “You have the prospect, maybe, of going home to the United Kingdom in 15 years, that’s a pretty major plus for you. I hope you earn it, I hope it happens, but you’ll have to serve a life sentence.” Mike Haines, Mr Haines’s brother, told Kotey he forgave him. He said: “I can say to you, you no longer have power over me and mine. I forgive you.”

Marsha Mueller, the mother of victim Kayla Mueller, said: “I go to bed every night thinking of her. We need to find Kayla and how she died.”

Michael Foley, the brother of James Foley, said he would have wanted Kotey to “spend the rest of his life incarcerated with time to reflect, pray, and make amends”.