Man who murdered soldier Lee Rigby sues over lost teeth

LONDON (Reuters) - A British Islamist, serving life for hacking to death soldier Lee Rigby in London two years ago, is suing the government for compensation over an incident in jail in which he lost his two front teeth, the justice ministry said on Thursday. Michael Adebolajo, 32, who with accomplice Michael Adebowale murdered Rigby in broad daylight near barracks in southeast London in May 2013, suffered the injury while being restrained by five prison officers at the top-security Belmarsh jail where he was awaiting trial. The officers were investigated for assaulting Adebolajo but cleared of any wrongdoing. Adebolajo was subsequently convicted of murder and sentenced to spend the rest of his life behind bars for an attack the trial judge described as a "bloodbath". "A police investigation into this incident took place and no charges were brought against members of staff," said a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Justice. "The public will be rightly outraged at the thought of this man receiving compensation from the taxpayer and we robustly defend claims made against the Prison Service." The gruesome murder gained international notoriety as Adebolajo was filmed by passers-by with blood-soaked hands shortly after the attack, standing in the street justifying what he had done. (Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Stephen Addison)