Lisa Smith Is ‘Vulnerable’ And Already Served A Sentence In Syria, Court Told

Monday, 11 July 2022 15:20

By Caoimhe Harney

Barrister for Lisa Smith, said she has already served a sentence and should not be jailed.

Lisa Smith's barrister has asked the judges of the non-jury Special Criminal Court to consider not sending her to prison for ISIS membership.

After a lengthy hearing this morning, the judges decided to take some time to consider an appropriate sentence for the former Irish soldier.

Lisa Smith’s barrister opened a number of psychological reports, all of which described her as a 'vulnerable person'.

Her trial heard she converted to Islam before leaving the Irish Defence Forces in 2011 and her conviction arises from the time she spent in ISIS controlled territory from October 2015 to December 2019.

The court heard details of a very abusive marriage to the father of her child, a man she met while in Syria.

An expert in terrorism and violent extremism described Lisa as someone who handed her life over to this man and an ISIS fighter she met online.

Her barrister asked the court to consider a fully suspended sentence but in the event it felt a custodial element was necessary, he suggested taking into account the significant time she spent in prison camps while in Syria.

She’ll be sentenced on Friday week.

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