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| Cleveland abductor Ariel Castro is sentenced | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| One of three women held in an Ohio home for about a decade has told their captor he will "face hell for eternity", as he was jailed for life. | |
| Michelle Knight, 32, wept as she delivered her victim impact statement before Ariel Castro. | Michelle Knight, 32, wept as she delivered her victim impact statement before Ariel Castro. |
| The 53-year-old former school bus driver, who was imprisoned for life without parole, plus 1,000 years, told the court he was not a monster. | |
| The court heard he kept his victims chained up and repeatedly raped them. | |
| The captives, Ms Knight, 32, Amanda Berry, 27, and Gina DeJesus, 23, were rescued in May after one of them escaped from the Cleveland home. | The captives, Ms Knight, 32, Amanda Berry, 27, and Gina DeJesus, 23, were rescued in May after one of them escaped from the Cleveland home. |
| 'Happy person inside' | 'Happy person inside' |
| Passing sentence on Thursday, the judge told Castro there was no place in the world for people who enslave others. | |
| In her statement, Ms Knight told how their captor went to church every Sunday, before coming home to "torture" the women. | |
| "I spent 11 years in hell. Now your hell is just beginning," she said. "You will face hell for eternity. | "I spent 11 years in hell. Now your hell is just beginning," she said. "You will face hell for eternity. |
| "From this moment on, I will not let you define me, or affect who I am. I will live on, you will die a little every day." | "From this moment on, I will not let you define me, or affect who I am. I will live on, you will die a little every day." |
| She was the only victim to speak at the hearing. | She was the only victim to speak at the hearing. |
| Castro then made a rambling statement to the court in which he blamed his sex addiction, his former wife and the FBI for not properly investigating the kidnappings. | Castro then made a rambling statement to the court in which he blamed his sex addiction, his former wife and the FBI for not properly investigating the kidnappings. |
| "I believe I am addicted to porn to the point that it really makes me impulsive and I just don't realise what I'm doing is wrong," he said. | "I believe I am addicted to porn to the point that it really makes me impulsive and I just don't realise what I'm doing is wrong," he said. |
| The former bandsman continued: "To be a musician and to be a monster like you're trying to say that I am - I don't think I can handle that - I'm a happy person inside." | The former bandsman continued: "To be a musician and to be a monster like you're trying to say that I am - I don't think I can handle that - I'm a happy person inside." |
| He told the court that he had been "driven by sex", adding: "I'm not a violent predator… I'm not a monster, I'm a normal person. | He told the court that he had been "driven by sex", adding: "I'm not a violent predator… I'm not a monster, I'm a normal person. |
| "I'm just sick. I have an addiction, just like an alcoholic has an addiction." | "I'm just sick. I have an addiction, just like an alcoholic has an addiction." |
| He said he never planned to abduct the women, but acted on the spur of the moment when he kidnapped his first victim. | He said he never planned to abduct the women, but acted on the spur of the moment when he kidnapped his first victim. |
| While claiming that most of the sex with his victims had been "consensual", Castro turned to their families and to Ms Knight to say he was "truly sorry". | While claiming that most of the sex with his victims had been "consensual", Castro turned to their families and to Ms Knight to say he was "truly sorry". |
| "I just hope they find it in their hearts to forgive me," he added. | "I just hope they find it in their hearts to forgive me," he added. |
| The hearing earlier heard testimony from policewoman Barbara Johnson, one of the officers who found the women. | The hearing earlier heard testimony from policewoman Barbara Johnson, one of the officers who found the women. |
| She said that as she and another officer searched the darkened house, she shone a flashlight on herself so the women could see they were really police. | She said that as she and another officer searched the darkened house, she shone a flashlight on herself so the women could see they were really police. |
| Ms Knight "literally launched herself" into another officer's arms, Ms Johnson said. | Ms Knight "literally launched herself" into another officer's arms, Ms Johnson said. |
| "And she just kept repeating, 'you saved us, you saved us,'" the policewoman told the court. | "And she just kept repeating, 'you saved us, you saved us,'" the policewoman told the court. |
| But Ms DeJesus was initially too afraid to leave her room, she added. | But Ms DeJesus was initially too afraid to leave her room, she added. |
| One investigator said there had been large amounts of manacles in the house, which had been used to restrain the women. | One investigator said there had been large amounts of manacles in the house, which had been used to restrain the women. |
| One woman was forced to wear a motorcycle helmet while chained in the basement. After she tried to escape, she was almost garrotted with a vacuum cord. | One woman was forced to wear a motorcycle helmet while chained in the basement. After she tried to escape, she was almost garrotted with a vacuum cord. |
| The victims were also chained to a bedroom heater or inside a van. | The victims were also chained to a bedroom heater or inside a van. |
| An FBI agent told the hearing the house's bedroom windows had been boarded shut from the inside, and locks were placed on the outside of the doors. | An FBI agent told the hearing the house's bedroom windows had been boarded shut from the inside, and locks were placed on the outside of the doors. |
| Special Agent Andrew Burke testified that Castro would sometimes give his victims money after raping them. Then he would require them to pay him back if they wanted items from a store. | Special Agent Andrew Burke testified that Castro would sometimes give his victims money after raping them. Then he would require them to pay him back if they wanted items from a store. |
| Promise of a puppy | Promise of a puppy |
| He abducted the three between 2002-04. | He abducted the three between 2002-04. |
| He tricked one of them into his home with the promise of a puppy, and enticed another by inviting her to meet his daughter. | He tricked one of them into his home with the promise of a puppy, and enticed another by inviting her to meet his daughter. |
| Prosecutors will ask the judge to ban Castro from ever seeing his daughter, now six years old, whom he fathered with one of the captives. | Prosecutors will ask the judge to ban Castro from ever seeing his daughter, now six years old, whom he fathered with one of the captives. |
| Other details of the women's ordeals have already emerged. | Other details of the women's ordeals have already emerged. |
| Castro starved and beat one victim each time she was pregnant until she miscarried five times. | Castro starved and beat one victim each time she was pregnant until she miscarried five times. |
| He forced the same woman on threat of death to safely deliver the child he fathered with another victim on Christmas Day 2006. | He forced the same woman on threat of death to safely deliver the child he fathered with another victim on Christmas Day 2006. |
| He then raped the woman who had helped deliver his daughter. | He then raped the woman who had helped deliver his daughter. |
| There are plans to demolish the house where the three were held. They were rescued after Ms Berry kicked open a door and alerted a neighbour. | There are plans to demolish the house where the three were held. They were rescued after Ms Berry kicked open a door and alerted a neighbour. |