Abdelbaset ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, convicted of the Lockerbie bombing that killed 270 people, has been told he must serve at least 27 years in jail. His sentence will be backdated to 1999 when he was first detained. The Libyan secret service agent was sentenced two years ago to life in prison for the 1988 bombing, with a recommendation that he served at least 20 years. However, a change in the law meant that the 51-year-old man had to again come before the Scottish courts so that the punishment period could be set.