Former Irish soldier Lisa Smith “enveloped herself in the black flag” of ISIS, the Special Criminal Court in Dublin has heard.
Ms Smith, 39, of County Louth, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges of membership of the illegal organisation and of providing funds to benefit the group.
Sean Gillane SC, for the prosecution, told the court that her conduct between 2015 and 2019, when she travelled to Syria, could “prove membership” of the terrorist group.
In his opening remarks, Mr Gillane said the court would hear that Ms Smith spoke about her “joy” at being in Syria, that she had wanted to fight, and that she had a desire to live under Sharia and a “willingness to die as a martyr”.
He said the court would hear evidence that Smith had taken part in “hijrah”, or migration to territories controlled by ISIS.
“Hijrah in this context is a central act of allegiance to this proto-state, without which the organisation cannot survive. It is the very lifeblood of [ISIS],” Mr Gillane told the court.
“IS needed fighters but also those who could give sustenance and vitality to the group.”
He said that participation in hijrah was to identify oneself as a member of the organisation.
Mr Gillane said evidence would show that Ms Smith willingly remained in Syria, was married there and that her movements mirrored that of the terrorist group when it lost territories in the region.
The prosecutor said there was a “reciprocity” to Ms Smith’s allegiance to ISIS, in that she had received “protection” while in the region.
“Ms Smith specifically addressed, assessed and answered the call to migrate to territory controlled by IS,” Mr Gillane said. “Every inch of that territory was won by a targeted campaign of violence.”
He said the evidence would show that Ms Smith was part of a Telegram group in June 2015, which discussed a video by ISIS showing five men drowning in a cage.
He said the members discussed why they had been drowned, and Ms Smith responded: “OK, I understand why they were drowned. I didn’t know half of the story.”
The court heard that she began her trip to Syria October 2015, and that she had lied to family members about her destination.
Ms Smith bought a one-way ticket from Dublin to Istanbul, which was paid for in cash, the court heard. From there, she crossed the border into Syria and ISIS-controlled territory.
When she arrived, she was instructed to change the security settings on her phone, and to join another group on Telegram, the court was told.
About this time, Ms Smith “made clear to her family her desire to stay”, the court heard.
On Tuesday the court heard from the first witness, Una McCartney from Dundalk, a friend of Ms Smith for between 15 and 20 years.
Ms McCartney told the court that she and Ms Smith had had plenty of discussions about religion about the time of her conversion to Islam in about 2007.
She described them as “normal discussions” about different beliefs in Catholicism and Islam.
Ms McCartney said Ms Smith had discussed moving to a Muslim country because she wanted to be “surrounded by people who were the same faith as her”, but she did not recall Ms Smith talking of any intention to travel to Syria.
Under cross-examination by Michael O’Higgins, SC, for the defence, Ms McCartney said Ms Smith had a troubled background.
“I don’t think her home life growing up was too great," she told the court. "Her dad was an alcoholic. I think he probably was a bit violent.
“We all enjoyed drinking, partying, myself included. We were probably a bit wild.
“Drink didn’t really suit her."
Ms McCartney told the court that she believed Ms Smith’s interest in Islam would dissipate over time.
“She would go hell for leather with things in the beginning and then it would fizzle out. I thought this would fizzle out as well.”
Ms McCartney agreed with Mr O’Higgins that the accused had been “vulnerable” at the time.
“My impression was she needed help or counselling. She had burned bridges with some of her friends."
Ms McCartney said the accused may have turned to Islam to find some solace.
She recalled her police interview in which she described Ms Smith as “very naive and easily taken in by somebody promising her something”.
The court later heard from Jillian McNicoll, a Muslim woman originally from Edinburgh who has lived in Ireland since 1998. She said she taught the faith to women who were new to it.
Ms McNicoll said she met the accused only once, during which Ms Smith told her about a dream she had about the Prophet Mohammed.
She said this struck her as unusual, as it would normally only happen to Muslims who are “exceptionally pious” and was not a “regular thing”.
Ms McNicoll said she felt there was “something attention-seeking” about it.
The case received widespread attention in 2019 when it emerged that Ms Smith, a former Air Corps soldier who had worked on the government jet, had been detained in Syria over alleged links to ISIS.
Ms Smith was arrested at Dublin Airport in 2019 on suspicion of terrorist offences after returning from Turkey in November with her young daughter.
She is charged under Section Six of the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 which makes it an offence to join a foreign unlawful organisation.
It is alleged that between October 28, 2015, and December 1, 2019, at a location outside the state, she was a member of a terrorist group calling itself ISIS.
She has also been accused of financing terrorism by sending €800 ($904) in assistance by a Western Union money transfer to a person in 2015.
Ms Smith has denied the charges.
