A mother-of-two from East Lancashire who sent funds to a terrorist organisation in Syria has been jailed.

Victoria Layla Webster, 28, of Pine St, Nelson, pleaded guilty to two counts of providing money for purposes of terrorism and one count of inviting another to provide money for purposes of terrorism, and was sentenced to 17 months in prison.

Appearing alongside her at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday, was co-defendant Amaani Noor from Wavertree, Liverpool.

Noor, the former girlfriend of a professional footballer, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after being found guilty of one count of providing money for purposes of terrorism.

Noor, of Cinema Drive, had planned to join her Islamist fighter husband in Syria, and had claimed she believed 45 dollars, around £35, she donated to the Merciful Hands organisation on May 23 last year would go to buy food for women and children in Syria.

But earlier this month a jury found her guilty of fundraising contrary to the Terrorism Act 2000.

Serena Gates, prosecuting, said Webster donated a total of about £45 in a series of small amounts.

Both women were in tears as they were told they would be jailed.

Sentencing Noor, honorary recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary QC rejected the claim that the former performing arts student had set up a PayPal account in a fake name because of "considerations of modesty".

He said: "I don't accept simply that you are that modest or naive in the way you would like people to believe.

"I have no doubt your commitment to your religion is entirely genuine but sadly there is a cunning about you which you maintained during your evidence."

During the trial, the jury heard Noor, a former Miss Teen GB semi-finalist, and Webster messaged using the Telegram app and spoke about extremist groups including so-called Islamic State (IS).

Conversations between the two revealed both females held extremist views and both expressed support for proscribed terrorist organisations Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and Islamic State.

They had access to video footage showing torture, beheadings and people being set on fire which the judge described as "truly shocking".

Noor, who wore a black hijab, also used the app to message a man named Hakim My Love who, she told the court, she had married over videolink and who described himself as an independent fighter in Syria.

Noor made a payment of $45.51 in May 2018 and Webster made two payments totalling $59.94 between April and August 2018.

On the day officers searched her house, in July 2018, she had a ticket booked to travel to Turkey.

The court was read emails found on a phone seized by police, believed to be written by Noor to Hakim, which said: "It's been my dream to marry a fighter for a long time and my dream to be a fighter myself even longer lol."

The jury was told Noor had been in a relationship with a professional footballer when she was a teenager and also had a short marriage to a preacher.

David Gottlieb, defending, suggested her failed relationships may have led to the offences and "sent her spinning out of the solar system".

He said she was in a new relationship and her fiance was in court along with her brother and mother.

Mr Gottlieb said: "She needs to address issues of self-esteem and making relationships."

Hossein Zahir, defending Webster, who wore a pink niqab, said she was "on a path to reform".

He added: "The ideology she thought she believed in has left her life in ruins."

He said she was influenced by Kamran Awan, who was connected to the Merciful Hands, and had been "cynically used" by him.

Detective Superintendent Will Chatterton of GMP’s Counter Terrorism Unit said: “After her arrest, Noor tried to claim she thought the organisation was a charity benefitting innocent victims of the civil war.

“But the organisation’s messaging made clear their intent to send weapons and equipment to terrorists fighting in Syria.

“The abhorrent footage and messages found upon both Noor’s and Webster’s phones clearly showed both to be sympathetic to terrorist organisations.

“While the amounts of money sent were relatively small; the intent of Noor and Webster was clear: to support and further the aims of terrorists fighting in Syria.

“I hope today’s sentences send a clear message that we gather evidence and pursue prosecutions against anyone who seeks to engage with and support any form of terrorism.”

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