Soldier Lee Rigby was run over and attacked with a knife and meat cleaver in "a cowardly and callous murder", a court has heard.

Video footage of the fusilier being mown down and two men dragging his body into the middle of the road was shown to jurors at the Old Bailey yesterday.

It is claimed Michael Adebolajo, 28, tried to decapitate him, while 22-year-old Michael Adebowale stabbed him. One witness said their actions were "like a butcher attacking a joint of meat".

Fusilier Rigby's widow Rebecca left the court room in tears before CCTV clips were played showing her late husband being run over.

There were gasps in Court Two of the Old Bailey as the footage was shown, prompting more of the soldier's relatives to leave.

Prosecutors claimed Adebolajo and Adebowale wanted people to see what they had done. Richard Whittam, QC, told the court: "They wanted members of the public to see the consequence of what can only be described as their barbarous acts.

"They had committed, you may think, a cowardly and callous murder by deliberately attacking an unarmed man in plain clothes from behind, using a vehicle as a weapon, and then they murdered him and mutilated his body with that meat cleaver and knives."

The first piece of footage showed a Vauxhall Tigra, which prosecutors claim was being driven by Adebolajo, swerve across Artillery Place in Woolwich, south-east London, and knock down the fusilier. Other footage showed two men dragging his body into the road.

The jury was told that the car was driven "straight at" Fusilier Rigby at a speed of 30-40mph, before the knife attack.

Witness Amanda Bailey, who saw the events from inside her Peugeot 206, said one of the attackers looked as if he did not care.

Mr Whittam told the jury: "As she put it, 'I was so shocked that all I could do was sit there and stare at what was happening. I couldn't believe what was going on. He was determined and he wasn't going to stop. He didn't care'."

The prosecutor told the jury members of the public showed "bravery and decency" in the aftermath of the alleged attack.

He went on: "Such heinous behaviour is in distinct contrast to the bravery and decency shown by some of the members of the public present. Despite the abhorrence of the scene, one woman went to the lifeless body of Lee Rigby and stroked him to provide some comfort and humanity to what had unfolded. Others went to see if they could provide first aid.

"Another woman engaged Michael Adebolajo in conversation despite the fact that he was still holding the meat cleaver and his hands were covered in blood."

The court heard that the two men were also armed with a gun, and have admitted possession of a firearm.

Mr Whittam told the jury the firearm was part of the plan the pair had made, and was used partly to frighten off members of the public before the emergency services arrived.

As a police vehicle swung into Artillery Place, both men moved towards it, Mr Whittam said, and Adebolajo raised the meat cleaver above his head. He and Adebowale were both shot by police and arrested, the court heard.

They are both accused of attempting to murder a police officer, and conspiracy to murder a police officer on or before May 22. They deny all charges.

Mr Whittam told the court the defendants had been together for five hours before the alleged murder and added it was clear there had been an agreement to attack police when they arrived.

Jurors were shown a video clip of Adebolajo speaking with blood on his hands, suggesting the attack was "an eye for an eye".

He said: "The only reason we've killed this man today is because Muslims are dying daily by British soldiers. This British soldier is one - he is an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."

But Mr Whittam told the jury: "There is no defence of moral justification for killing just as there is no defence of religious justification. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth suggests revenge or retaliation, and in the context of this case, murder."

The trial was adjourned until Monday.