Boston Marathon bomber Tsarnaev says sorry

In his first public statement – Tsarnaev did not speak in his own defence during his trial – he admitted his guilt, and that of his brother Tamerlan, who died during a shootout at the end of a police manhunt.

“I am sorry for the lives I have taken, for the suffering that I have caused you, for the damage I have done, irreparable damage,” the 21-year-old ethnic Chechen told the court.

“In case there is any doubt, I am guilty of this attack, along with my brother,” he continued.

Tsarnaev was found guilty of the bombing attack at the finish line of the world renowned marathon. At the hearing he will be formally sentenced to death by lethal injection.

‘Despicable’

Earlier in the hearing the court heard from more than 20 victims of the attack – including those who lost limbs, or loved ones.

Patricia Campbell, whose daughter Krystle was one of three people killed during the bombing in 2013, told Tsarnaev, “you went down the wrong road.”

“I know life is hard,” she said, “but the choices you made were despicable and what you did to my daughter was disgusting.”

In addition to Krystle Campbell, Martin Richard, 8, and an exchange student from China, Lingzi Lu, 26 also died in the bombing. Tsarnaev and his 26-year-old brother, Tamerlan, also shot dead Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer Sean Collier, 26, three days after the attack. Tamerlan Tsarnaev died following a gunfight with police the shooting.

Read more: Boston bomber's mother - 'I loved the USA, until it killed my son.'

“Terrorists like you do two things in this world,” Rebekah Gregory, who lost her left leg in the attack, said.

“One, they create mass destruction, but the second is quite interesting. Because do you know what mass destruction really does?

“It brings people together. We are Boston strong and we are America strong, and choosing to mess with us was a terrible idea. How’s that for your victim impact statement?”