Aine Davis, 39, was sentenced to eight years for possessing firearms and raising funds for “terrorism”.
A British man who joined ISIL (ISIS) in Syria has been jailed for “terrorist offences”.
Aine Davis, 39, was sentenced to eight years in prison on Monday after pleading guilty to possession of firearms and fundraising for “terrorism”, London’s Metropolitan Police said.
“Davis arranged for a large sum of money to be taken out of the UK to fund the terrorist activities of Daesh – a group he traveled to Syria to join,” said Commander Dominic Murphy, head of Counter-Strike Command Terrorism of the Metropolitan Police, in his report.
“It has been almost 10 years since Davis committed these crimes and I hope this case sends a message that we must diligently pursue and seek to prosecute anyone who are involved in terrorism both in the UK and abroad, regardless of the time that has passed.”
ISIL has gained a reputation for its horrific methods and recruits from around the world, including many Western countries.
Davis has been linked by prisoners to the ISIL cell known as the “Beatles” because of its members’ English accents.
The cell helped guard foreign prisoners in Syria and is said to have kidnapped foreign journalists and aid workers, including some hostages from the United States.
Davis, who was deported from the United Kingdom after being convicted of ISIL membership in Turkey, has consistently denied his involvement in the cell.
Two other members of the cadre who speak English, Alexanda Kotey and El Shafee Elsheikh, were sentenced to life in the United States.
Speaking at the Old Bailey court in London on Monday, Judge Mark Lucraft sentenced Davis to six years for possession of firearms and two years for funding terrorism.
“It’s clear you’ve been with fighters in Syria and you weren’t there for legal reasons,” Lucraft told Davis.
“I make it clear that I am sentencing you for the crimes charged and nothing else,” he said.
Davis’ attorney, Mark Summers, apologized to the Syrian people on his client’s behalf, saying his presence and the groups he was associated with “did more harm than good” in the country.
