Does this light sentence indicate that Irish officials are anxious not to offend their growing and easily offended Muslim community? Or do they think Lisa Smith is a one-off and this sort of thing will never happen again? If the latter, they’re in for a rude awakening.
“Former Irish soldier Lisa Smith jailed for 15 months for IS membership,” by Paul Reynolds, RTÉ, July 22, 2022 (thanks to A.)
Former Irish soldier Lisa Smith has been sentenced to 15 months in prison at the Special Criminal Court for membership of ISIS, the Islamic State terrorist organisation.
The 40-year-old mother-of-one is the first person to be convicted in an Irish court of membership in another country of an Islamic terrorist organisation.
The court rejected her claims that she had gone to Islamic State simply out of a sense of religious obligation and for the innocent purpose of living under Sharia law and raising a family in a Muslim state.
It found her not guilty of a second charge of funding terrorism, saying that it is reasonably possible that she sent €800 to an Isis fighter and propagandist John Georgelas in May 2015 for his personal use or for “humanitarian reasons”, after he had been injured during fighting in Syria.
Mr Justice Tony Hunt said today it was a serious matter for an Irish citizen and former defence forces member to take up allegiance to a foreign terrorist organisation.
The judge said Smith “followed rather than led” but knew precisely the nature of the organisation.
She is of previous good character and made a very positive contribution to society during military service.
There is, the judge said, no doubt that Smith had a hard time in Syria before repatriation, but this was a foreseeable consequence of her actions.
The court accepts that Smith suffered domestic violence at the time of her marriage in Syria and is the mother of a young child.
Mr Justice Hunt said the court believed she was not a source of future danger, that her focus will be on her daughter and her risk of reoffending is low.
However, he pointed out that the prosecution case was fully contested and therefore Smith has incurred a significant loss of mitigation as result.
He said that Smith had been easily led by circumstances, but she displayed resilience and determination thereafter in rejecting her family, travelling to Syria and remaining “to the bitter end”.
The court accepts that her life in the camps in Syria was “arduous” and considered her argument of “previous incarceration” there, but has adapted the traditional approach to sentencing, he said.
“The custodial sentence threshold has been passed,” he said, which will underline the gravity of the offence and deter others.
He also said there was “insufficient mitigation for fully a suspended sentence”….
They also say they wish to thank their international partners and in particular express their gratitude to the many members of the Irish Muslim community who assisted the investigation.
CogitoErgoSum says
The Muslim community in Ireland helped in the investigation? According to the Koran they are supposed to be fighting Infidels, not helping them. According to the Koran, the Muslims who can not actively fight must at least help those who do fight. Allah says those who sit idly by and refuse to fight are hypocrites and are as bad as the Infidels.
In truth, I think the Irish Muslims must have fought to get this woman a lighter sentence and that when she is released they will do all that they can to see that she helps them in the fight to make everyone in Ireland submit to Islam. The Koran is clear and the command issued by the Muslim god to Muhammad is to fight – and that includes fighting in all ways possible to make Ireland an Islamic state. The order from Allah remains the same and the Muslims are to obey. Some battles may be lost but the plan is to carry on with the war. The Irish Infidels just don’t know what the plan is – but there is no excuse for them not to know. They are being played for the fools that they are.
somehistory says
Probably pointed out to the court about her ” resilience and determination,” as a reason not to be harsh in the sentencing. I can’t imagine mozlums actually “helping” the cops or the prosecution in finding out about her crimes, but if they said she went and stuck it out…perhaps they didn’t realize that was “helping.”
I feel pity for the poor girl…the daughter.
Keith O says
Idiots like this should be sentenced to at least a couple of decades with hard labour.
No special diet, no precious book, no banging their head on the floor 5 times a day and nothing but a Christian channel on the TV 24/7.
gravenimage says
Ireland: Former soldier who converted to Islam sentenced to just 15 months for joining the Islamic State
…………………………
Another pathetic slap on the wrist.
Westman says
Anyone willing to bet against her actually serving no more than 7-1/2 months, if that?
Shema says
No
PMK says
Why was repatriation ever considered? What ever happened to exile as a punishment for joining a group which seeks to eliminate freedom in the West?
This woman had a ‘hard time’ in Syria. She made that choice. She (and all others who made the same choice) should be denied reentry and repatriation unless they are prepared to accept life in prison without parole.
Andrew Blackadder says
Ireland has gone full on woke madness, look up Miss Ireland 2022 and then search for Miss Finland or Miss Denmark in the past few years.
At least it is usually the fat arse butt ugly European women that convert to the religion of piss as those guys like the ugly ones as they are easier to control.