Case against the Islamic State terror suspect Lisa Smith delayed due to coronavirus restrictions

A book of evidence has been completed in the case against Lisa Smith on charges of Islamic State membership. However, she did not attend court to be sent for trial yesterday due to the coronavirus crisis.

The former Irish Army soldier was due to have the book served on her but Dublin District Court heard her lawyers had sought an adjournment.

Judge Grainne Malone said there was “no difficulty” with Ms Smith not attending and remanded her on continuing bail in her absence, to appear in court again on July 17.

The Co Louth mother-of-one, who left Ireland and married after converting to Islam, was returned here from Turkey last December after spending time in a Syrian refugee camp.

She is charged with being a member of a terrorist group outside the State between October 28, 2015, and December 1, 2019.

The charge alleges she was “a member of a terrorist group styling itself the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) also known as Dawlat al-Iraq al-Islamiyya, Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Dawlat al Islamiya fi Iraq wa al Sham, otherwise known as ‘Da’esh’ and the Islamic State in Iraq and Sham”.

She denies the allegations.

The case was before the court yesterday for the serving of a book of evidence, which is required before the accused can be sent for trial to a higher court.

Neither Ms Smith nor her Belfast-based lawyers were present when the case was called. A State solicitor said the book was ready but Ms Smith’s defence had indicated they were writing to the courts service to seek an adjournment.

The prosecution had “no difficulty with that”, he said, and asked the judge to extend the time required for the service of the book.

“They are looking to have it adjourned to save them coming down and the client attending court in light of the Covid restrictions,” the State solicitor said.

The prosecution had “no issues with the accused not being present”.

Judge Malone said the book could not be served in the accused’s absence and she had no note of any correspondence from the defence lawyers seeking an adjournment. However, the judge said there was no difficulty with Ms Smith not being present in light of court directions that people were not required to attend.

The State solicitor said he would notify the defence of the next court date.

Ms Smith was arrested at Dublin Airport last December 1, charged on December 4 and denied bail at the district court before she was granted it later in the High Court. She remained in custody before taking up bail on December 31.

She has since been before the district court several times, and the court has heard it is a “complicated, substantial case”.

Her lawyer has previously asked for the case against her to be reviewed and for the charge to be discontinued, but a judge has said this was a matter for the DPP and not the courts.

Ms Smith is also anxious to “prove her innocence”, her lawyer has said.

Source: Herald