A member of the so-called Islamic State (IS) "Beatles" terror cell was sentenced to life in prison by a federal court in the United States on Friday.

El Shafee Elsheikh was found guilty in April of hostage-taking and conspiracy to commit murder and support a terrorist organization.

"The behavior of this defendant can only be described as horrific, barbaric, brutal and of course criminal," US District Court Judge T.S. Ellis said. He sentenced him to eight concurrent life terms.

He was the most notorious and highest-ranking member of IS ever to be convicted in a US Court, prosecutors said.

Terror cell known for beheadings, torture of hostages

Elsheikh, who was born in Sudan and raised in London, was part of the IS cell known as "the Beatles" by their hostages because of their British accents.

The four members of the terror cell were accused of being involved in the murders of American journalists, James Foley and Steven Sotloff, as well as American aid workers Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller, among others.

All but Mueller were executed in videotaped beheadings circulated online. Mueller was forced into slavery and raped multiple times by IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before she was killed.

Foley's mother, Diane Foley, told Elsheikh, "hatred truly overwhelmed your humanity.''

Friday was exactly eight years since her son's beheading was broadcast on Twitter.

"Let this sentencing make clear to all who dare to kidnap, torture or kill any American citizen abroad that US justice will find you wherever you are, and that our government will hold you accountable for your crimes against our citizens," she told reporters outside court. 

"Beatles' killed or in prison

Elsheikh did not speak during Friday's hearing. His lawyer, Zachary Deubler, said Elsheikh will appeal his conviction.

In all, the terror cell is thought to have captured at least 26 hostages while operating in Syria between 2012 and 2015. During that time, the militant "Islamic State" terror group controlled large swaths of Syria and Iraq.

Elsheikh, whose British citizenship was revoked in 2018, was facing a possible death sentence but US prosecutors had previously advised British officials that they would not seek the death penalty in order to secure his extradition to the United States.

His fellow "Beatle" Alexanda Kotey, was sentenced to life in prison by a US judge earlier this year after he pleaded guilty to eight criminal charges relating to the abduction, torture and beheading of IS hostages in Syria.

A third "Beatle," Mohammed Emwazi who was also known as "Jihadi John,'' was killed in a US drone strike in 2015. The fourth "Beatle" Aine Davis, is currently imprisoned in Turkey.

lo/sms(AFP, AP, Reuters)