Man accused of murdering British soldier opts not to give evidence

LONDON (Reuters) - One of the two men accused of murdering British soldier Lee Rigby on a London street in May will not be testifying in his defense, a court heard on Friday. Michael Adebowale, 22, and co-defendant Michael Adebolajo, 29, are accused of running over Afghan war veteran Rigby in Woolwich, southeast London, before attacking his unconscious body with knives and a meat cleaver. They both deny murder. Adebolajo said in evidence earlier this week that he was a soldier of Allah engaged in a war between Muslims and Western nations. But Adebowale's lawyer Abbas Lakha told the Old Bailey on Friday he would not be calling his client or any witnesses, thereby ending the defense case. "That means that the evidence is now over," Judge Nigel Sweeney told the jury. The trial is expected to last another week. (Reporting by Costas Pitas, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith)