Lisa Smith: Former Irish soldier jailed for Isis membership

Convert to Islam travelled to Syria in 2015 after Isis leader called for Muslims to join terror group

A former Irish soldier has been jailed for being a member of Isis.

Lisa Smith, 40, was sentenced to 15 months behind bars at a court in Dublin on Friday after she was convicted earlier this year of joining the Islamist terror group.

The former Defence Forces member was cleared in May of a separate charge of financing terrorism after a nine-week trial at Dublin’s non-jury Special Criminal Court.

Smith, a convert to Islam, went to Syria in 2015 after terrorist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi called on Muslims to travel to the country.

Judge Tony Hunt said the court considered the reports submitted to him and the time Smith had spent in camps in Syria.

Justice Hunt told the court: “She may have been easily led but then displayed characteristics of resilience: the rejection of her family, travelling to Syria and remaining there to the bitter end.”

He also said her focus was now on her daughter.

“It appears the likelihood of reoffending is low,” the judge told the court.

He added that the panel of judges accepted that life in the Syrian camps was “arduous” and the “equivalent” of being in prison.

He said the judges had given a “substantial” discount off the sentence due to Smith’s time in detention.

After “balancing all factors” Smith was sentenced to 15 months in prison.