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IS Member Lisa Smith to remain behind bars as sentence appeal is rejected
Summary
Former soldier Lisa Smith, aged 41, remains in custody after the Court of Appeal rejected her appeal against a 15‑month sentence for membership of the Islamic State. The Special Criminal Court had convicted her for joining ISIS between 28 October 2015 and 1 December 2019, after she travelled to Syria in 2015. The appeal court dismissed all grounds relating to the sentence, noting that the reduction from a headline 30‑month term to 15 months reflected consideration of mitigating factors such as her prior good character, army service, motherhood and vulnerability. Smith's lawyers plan to appeal the conviction itself. With ordinary remission and one month already served in 2019, Smith is due for release on 27 May. The case will be heard again on 24 March.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: IS Member Lisa Smith to remain behind bars as sentence appeal is rejected. Charges or matters: membership of an unlawful terrorist group, Islamic State, between October 28th, 2015 and December 1st, 2019. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted
When:
- March 24 Hearing Or Sentence
- May 27 Incident
- October 28th, 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
- December 1st, 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2023-03-08 Publication
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: membership of an unlawful terrorist group, Islamic State, between October 28th, 2015 and December 1st, 2019 (Proven)
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; Photo: Collins) Former soldier Lisa Smith is to remain behind bars for membership of the terrorist group Islamic State, after a bid to overturn her 15-month sentence was rejected by the Court of Appeal. Delivering the judgment of the three-judge court this morning, Mr Justice John Edwards said the judges of the Special Criminal Court who tried, convicted and sentenced Smith had shown "scrupulous fairness and appropriate regard to the evidence".
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