German court killer gets life

A racist murderer who stabbed a pregnant Egyptian woman to death in a German courtroom was sentenced to life in prison today.

The Dresden state court said that because of the particularly brutal nature of the crime defendant Alexander Wiens would not be eligible for early release.

Wiens, a 28-year-old Russian-born German, admitted stabbing Marwa al-Sherbini to death during a court hearing in July.

He claimed his actions were not premeditated and that he had no xenophobic motivation.

The stabbing was during a hearing over a complaint Mrs al-Sherbini filed against Wiens, accusing him of insulting her.