The UK-based parents of British Muslim convert dubbed "Jihadi Jack" for his extremist views were Friday sentenced to 15 months in prison each for funding terrorism by sending money to their son in the war-torn Syria, despite concerns that he had joined the ISIS terror network.
Father John Letts, 58, and mother Sally Lane, 57, were found guilty during a jury trial at the Old Bailey court in London for sending a total of 1,223 pounds to their son Jack Letts while he was in Syria.
They were handed down 15-month sentences each but escaped time behind bars as it was suspended for 12 months as a period of probation.
Judge Nicholas Hilliard told the couple the "warning signs" should have been picked up.
"It was one thing for parents to be optimistic about their children, and I do acknowledge he is your son who you love very much. But in this context you did lose sight of realities," said judge Hilliard in his verdict.
The court was told earlier during the trial that Jack's parents "turned a blind eye to the obvious" and that the parents were repeatedly told by "numerous police officers" not to send any money.
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The jury could not reach a verdict on the couple sending 500 pounds in January 2016 but found them guilty of wire transferring 223 pounds and 1,000 pounds previously in 2015.
Jack left his family home in Oxford in 2014 aged 18 to travel to Syria, where he is currently in prison.
Jack, who suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder, told his parents at the time that he was going to Jordan to study Arabic.
His parents maintained their innocence during the trial and told the court that the money was to help get their son out of danger in the war-torn country.
After a few months away, Jack revealed to his parents in a phone call that he was not in Jordan but in Syria, enmeshed with ISIS, the trial heard.
British police became involved after a series of posts on Jack's social media accounts.
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