Syria bid woman arrested at Luton Airport avoids jail

A woman who tried to use her twin sister's passport to travel to Syria has avoided jail so she can rebuild her relationship with her son, aged two.

Jamila Henry, from Walthamstow in east London, was deported from Turkey and arrested by counter-terror police at Luton Airport on 19 March.

The 22-year-old pleaded guilty to possessing her sister's passport "with improper intent" at the Old Bailey.

She was given a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years.

Henry was also ordered to do 40 days' rehabilitation activity.

Judge Christopher Moss QC said he had not jailed her so that she could rebuild her relationship with her son, and for her to pursue her ambition to train as a midwife or nurse.

The court heard that Henry made two abortive attempts to travel to Syria in 2014, but was twice stopped at Heathrow and Luton airports.

Her mobile phone was found to have images of people with guns and the Islamic State group flag and salute.

Henry then succeeded in travelling via Dover and Belgium to Syria, the court was told, and when stopped at Stansted Airport on her return with her son admitted as much.

In March, she borrowed her sister Jalila's passport, claiming she needed it for identification to pawn jewellery.

The court was told that Henry, a "shy and quiet" woman, changed her appearance and wore western clothes to look more like her "outspoken and confident" sister.

She took the coach from Victoria Station to Brussels and was detained in Ankara, Turkey, on 16 March.

When her London home was searched, police found Islamic State group propaganda on her laptop and mobile phone.

The court heard that Henry pleaded guilty because she wanted to visit Syria, not for military reasons but to help suffering children.