A Libya-origin British Muslim was today sentenced to 10 years in prison by a UK court for travelling to Syria to join the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist network.
Mohammed Abdallah was helped by his brother, Abdalraouf, who set up a "hub" of communication for would-be fighters from his home in the British city of Manchester, the Old Bailey court in London was told.
Mohammed Abdallahwas found guilty of membership of ISIS, possessing an AK47 gun and receiving 2,000 pounds for terrorism at the end of a trial.
The 26-year-old'sIndian-origin barrister, Rajiv Menon, told the court there was no evidence Abdallah was "on a mission" for the terrorist group.
But the judge said Abdallah had "bragged" about acquiring weapons in messages and was "totally committed" to signing up to ISIS.
"There is no evidence of possession of extremist propaganda material. The evidence of your mindset is to be found in your actions. Your commitment to violence abroad is clear and you have not shown any sign of changing your views or attitudes,"Justice McGowan told Abdallah.
"I do accept to some extent you acted under the influence of your brother," she added.
The trial heard that in 2014, Abdallah headed to Syria via Libya to join ISIS.
In 2016, 'Sky News' received files from an ISIS defector that listed Abdallah as a specialist sniper with expertise with the "Dushka", a Russian heavy machine gun, and fighting experience in Libya.
It cited Manchester recruiter Raphael Hostey, aka Abu al-Qaqa al-Britani, as a reference in Raqqa as well as a "family friend", the Libyan narrator of an ISIS video entitled Demolishing Borders.
Abdallah denied swearing allegiance to ISIS, saying he only went to Syria to help deliver 5,000 dollars to the poor and that someone else must have filled out the registration form without his knowledge.
"It's true I refused to swear allegiance. They did send me to prison. I was threatened with being beheaded. I was shot at. I was hit. I had bruises and a black eye, he claimed.
Abdallah's trial was delayed in the wake of the attack on Manchester Arena in May this year over reported links with bomber Salman Abedi, who attended the same mosque as the defendant and Hostey.
He too had Libyan parents, lived in Manchester, and had travelled to Libya before returning to the city to plan the May 22 attack on an Ariana Grande concert that killed 22 people.
In 2016, his brother Abdalraouf Abdallah was found guilty of assisting others in committing acts of terrorism, and terror funding and jailed for five-and-a-half years.
Hostey left the UK in 2013 and is believed to have been killed in a drone strike in 2016.
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