Lisa Smith Jailed For 15 Months For ISIS Membership

Friday, 22 July 2022 09:55

By Caoimhe Harney

She was cleared of a charge of financing terrorism.

Lisa Smith has been jailed for fifteen months for being a member of the terror group, ISIS.

The former Irish soldier was convicted of the charge earlier this year, following what was described as a 'novel and complex' trial.

Despite being convicted of a crime that could have seen her spend up to eight years in prison, Lisa Smith was allowed to remain on bail until today.

However, at her sentence hearing a few weeks ago, Mr Justice Tony Hunt told her not to take any 'false comfort' from the fact she wasn’t taken into custody.

Lisa was described as a 'very vulnerable' person in various psychological assessments and the judges were told she has a 5 year old daughter to care for.

The 40 year old, who spent ten years in the Irish army before leaving on religious grounds after converting to Islam, was jailed for fifteen months.

Her barrister pleaded with the judges not to send her to prison, but the court felt it had to mark what she did with jail time and they hoped it would also deter others from supporting dangerous organisations like ISIS.

Mr Justice Hunt said there was insufficient evidence to justify a fully suspended sentence and he also refused to allow her remain on bail until she appeals her sentence.

The mother-of-one was in tears as she was being led away to begin her sentence.

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