RAMALLAH: The Jerusalem District Court on Monday sentenced a Palestinian from East Jerusalem to two consecutive life sentences for the killing of two Israeli Border Guard officers in 2008.

The court also sentenced Mohammed Khalil Abu-Snaineh to 40 years in prison for other counts of which he was convicted, including unlawful weapons trade, conspiracy to commit a crime and unlawful possession of weapons.

Abu-Snaineh, 21, from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Beit Hanina, was convicted of heading a cell comprised of himself along with Mohammed Joulani, 21, of Shu’fat and Louis Abu Najma, 23, also of Shu’fat.

According to the indictment, Abu-Snaineh shot Border Guard officer Rami Zuari on early 2008 at the Ras Khamis checkpoint in north Jerusalem.

The indictment against him indicates that he approached the officer and shot him at close range and seized his weapon. He later shot a female officer who was wounded as a result.

On July 2008, Abu Snaineh shot officer David Shriki in the head at the Old City’s Bab Al-Asbat (Lions’ Gate). He then proceeded to shoot another officer at the site, who was injured as a result.

In the hearing on Monday the representative of the Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office, Sagi Ophir, petitioned the court to sentence Abu-Snaineh as severely as possible.

“I ask the court to award the maximum sentence, which amounts to two life sentences in addition to 122 years,” Ophir said, adding that the prosecution believed that “there are no grounds to rule a lighter sentence.”

The defendant’s “defiance during and lack of remorse, even smiling in court, must lead the court to exact the maximum punishment,” Ophir added.

Abu-Snaineh had asked to speak before the court, and immediately began attacking the judges and the proceedings.

“When a witness comes and the judge tells him exactly what to do and constantly interrupt the attorneys,” Abu-Snaineh said just before being silenced by the presiding judges.

The Israeli Judges Zvi Segal, Moshe Drori and Yoram Noam criticized Abu Snaineh for wishing to speak prior to the reading of the sentence.

In their sentencing, the judges wrote that they, “innocently, thought that the defendant wished to express remorse over the actions of which he was convicted, but he chose to criticize to court instead.”