Alleged Islamic State 'Beatle' Aine Davis appears before UK court

A man accused of being a member of the Islamic State terror cell known as The Beatles has appeared in a UK court.

Aine Leslie Davis, 38, spoke briefly to confirm his name and date of birth when he appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Thursday.

Davis, originally from west London, was arrested at Luton Airport on Wednesday evening after being deported to England by Turkey, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

He has been charged with possession of a firearm for terror purposes, and two charges relating to funding terrorism, after a friend allegedly tried to take €20,000 (approximately £17,000) to Syria.

The charges relate to alleged offending in 2013 and 2014.

Islam-convert Davis, who wore a grey long-sleeve T-shirt and grey trousers, was remanded in custody by Senior District Judge Paul Goldspring.

He did not enter any pleas to the charges and will next appear at the Old Bailey on September 2 for a pre-trial hearing.

A warrant was issued at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in January 2015 for Davis’s arrest.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know

He is said to have denied being part of The Beatles cell – so called because of their English accents – which tortured and beheaded western hostages in Syria.

Ringleader Mohammed Emwazi, widely known as Jihadi John, was killed in a drone strike in 2015.