THE US: A Boston judge sentenced British "shoe bomber" Richard Reid to life imprisonment yesterday for trying to blow up a transatlantic flight with 197 people.
Reid (29) had pleaded guilty in October to attempting to ignite explosives in his shoes during the Paris-to-Miami American Airlines flight on December 22nd, 2001.
US District Judge William Young also sentenced Reid to a further total of 110 years to be served consecutively on various other charges, effectively ruling out the chance of parole.
Reid has declared himself to be a disciple of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and an enemy of the United States.
The attack was thwarted when he was spotted by a flight attendant while trying to ignite a small amount of explosives hidden in the hollowed-out heel of his shoes.
Investigators say Reid might have succeeded in blowing up American Airlines Flight 63 if he had used a cigarette lighter instead of matches, which gave off a strong and noticeable sulphur smell.
Passengers and crew members subdued Reid before he could detonate the explosives. The flight was diverted to Boston, where he was taken into custody.
The investigation established that Reid had help in preparing the attempted strike, since the explosives in his shoes had a hair and fingerprint that were not his own.