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Norma Costello
Courts

Lisa Smith still on remand in prison despite being granted bail last week

Smith may yet may yet spend Christmas in jail over issues around the independent surety.

FORMER IRISH DEFENCE Forces soldier Lisa Smith, who is to be tried on a charge of membership of the terrorist organisation Isis, has yet to take up bail granted by the courts last week.

Issues surrounding a €5,000 bail surety for her release, which initially surfaced last Friday, continued today.

Smith, 37, whose address cannot be published for legal reasons, may yet spend Christmas in jail away from her daughter (2) if her bail is not processed

The mother of one from Co Louth was granted bail last Thursday and was initially expected to take up bail last Friday.

It’s understood the delay surrounds the independent surety, of which €1,000 must be lodged plus €500 of Smith’s own money.

Reliable sources said there was “no change” in Smith’s circumstances and she was still being held on remand at the jail this evening.

Smith is charged that, between 28 October 2015 and 1 December 2019 she was a member of an unlawful 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 al-Sham.

The offence is contrary to the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005.

As part of strict bail conditions set by the courts last week, Smith must reside at an address in the north-east and sign on at a Garda station twice daily from 10am-1pm and 3pm-6pm.

She has also also ordered to obey a curfew, having to remain indoors from 8pm to 7am.

The judge told her she cannot leave the jurisdiction or apply for new travel documentation, having already lost her passport.

She must also provide gardaí with a contact mobile phone number within 48 hours of taking up bail.

She was warned by the judge that she must answer the phone if rung by gardaí and if she failed to do so it would be a breach of bail. This would result in her going back into custody.

He also banned her from accessing the internet or using any social media and she must not have contact with non-Garda witnesses in the case.

The Director of Public Prosecutions has directed Smith face a trial on indictment. She is to be served with a book of evidence and possible further charges are contemplated, the court heard.

Smith, who left Ireland and married after she converted to Islam, had been found in a Syrian refugee camp, and after a trek to Turkey with her daughter, aged two, she was brought back to Ireland on December 1st last.

Smith has been remanded to appear before Dublin District Court on 8 January.

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