Teenager girl admits trying to flee to Syria to work as a nurse supporting ISIS terrorists
An 18-year-old woman has admitted planning to travel to Syria to work as a nurse supporting ISIS (Daesh) terrorists.
Sandeep Samra denies intending to carry out acts of violence in support of Daesh, but pleaded guilty to a single count of engaging in conduct in preparation for terrorist acts at Birmingham Crown Court.
The teenager, of Alder Road, Coventry, admitted attempting to travel to Syria between June 1 last year and July 31.
Prosecutors allege social media messages show Samra – who claims she only planned to help Isis as a nurse – was “going for death” and intended to die for the so-called Islamic State.
Samra, who appeared in the dock wearing a blue coat and a woollen scarf, is now facing a court hearing to decide whether she intended to commit terrorist acts herself.
Opening the Crown’s submissions, prosecution QC Sarah Whitehouse told the court Samra’s intentions were revealed by messages sent on WhatsApp and the Telegram app.
The prosecutor told the court: “Miss Samra attended Lyng Hall School in Coventry from the age of 11.
“Her family in fact are Sikhs but at some time Miss Samra converted to Islam.
“In July 2015, when she was 16 years old, it is apparent from WhatsApp messages found on her telephone that she had become a supporter of ISIS.”
The court heard Samra applied for her first passport in September 2015 but it was handed to the police by the teenager’s father a month later, after teachers became concerned and reported her to an anti-extremism team.
The passport was then cancelled but Samra lodged a new application in June 2017, becoming “quite frantic” as she asked staff at Lyng Hall to countersign documents, the court heard.
Samra was arrested a month later by police who seized her mobile phone, which showed she was making plans to travel to Syria.
Messages found on the phone and a further handset belonging to Samra included one showing an execution and another stating that she intended to “join in with the brothers.”
Others messages allegedly found on Samra’s phones read: “I’m not going there for safety, I am going there for death” and “May Allah give me death in the cause.”
Samra is expected to give evidence to the trial-of-issue on Wednesday.
Source: Abna24
