Ex Irish The soldier was found guilty of being part of the so-called Islamic State (IS) is due to appear at Dublin Crown Court on Friday for sentencing.
Former military man Lisa SmithIn May, the 40-year-old was found guilty of being a member of the IS terror group, but was acquitted of a separate charge of financing terrorism after a nine-week trial at Dublin’s Special Criminal Court without a jury.
Smith, converted to Islamwent to Syria in 2015 after terrorist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi called on Muslims to travel to the country.
The Co Louth woman has pleaded not guilty to being a member of IS and providing funds to the group.
Former Irish soldier Lisa Smith, 40, is scheduled to be sentenced (Niall Carson/Pennsylvania)
(PA Wire)
She was released on bail pending sentencing.
Smith, from Dundalk, was described in court earlier this month as an “extremely vulnerable person” who was “treated like a servant” by her late husband during his time in Syria.
The details emerged during a sentencing hearing on July 11, when her lawyer argued that the former soldier should receive probation.
During the hearing, barrister Michael O’Higgins SC argued that the state of Ms Smith’s marriage to a man who the prosecution claimed was a member of IS while in Syria was a “very important mitigating factor”.
Mr O’Higgins said the conditions Ms Smith endured in the Syrian camp, combined with the strict bail conditions imposed on her during her two-and-a-half years in Ireland, meant a suspended sentence was warranted .
The court heard that after leaving Baghuza, Ms Smith remained at Al Howl camp from February to mid-April in an “undertow of fear”, with guards patrolling the area and “running dogs at night”.
Her lawyer argued that if those two arguments were not accepted, there should be a “lower level” sentence, particularly given Ms Smith’s child and “all very unusual circumstances”.
The verdict in the case was read by Judge Tony Hunt on May 30.
In his judgment, Justice Hunt, sitting in a three-judge bench, acquitted her of the terror financing charge, saying it could not be proved beyond reasonable doubt that when she sent €800 to the man in 2015, it was specifically for the goal of supporting the IS group.
But the judge said the prosecution had established beyond reasonable doubt that Ms Smith became a member of IS when she crossed the border into Syria in October 2015.
He told the court that Ms Smith’s online communications with various people showed her “eyes were wide open” to the situation in the country she “passionately wanted” to return to.
Judge Hunt said Ms Smith had sworn allegiance to an organization led by al-Baghdadi and that she knew the organization was illegal and that it was not traditional or religious.
