Five people from Walsall appear in court on Syria-terror charges

Two men and three women from Walsall have appeared in court shared with Syria related terror offences.

Ayman Shaukat, aged 27 of Pargetter Street, was charged with assisting two men to travel to Syria to engage in terrorism.

One of the men, Sajid Aslam, is suspected to now be fighting with the Islamic State group while the other, fellow defendant Alex Nash, aged 21 of Bentley Road, appeared alongside Shaukat at Westminster Magistrates accused of preparing for acts of terrorism.

Nash’s 20 year old wife Yousma Jan was also in the dock charged with failing to disclose information about her husband’s activities.

Shaukat was further charged with possession of a terrorist document.

Kerry Thomason, aged 23 of an undisclosed address, was charged with assisting her husband, Isaiah Siadatan, to travel to Syria to engage in suspected terrorism. He is also believed to have joined IS with Aslam and another man known to the group, Jacob Petty.

The fifth defendant, Lorna Moore aged 33, of Glebe Street, who is married to Aslam, was accused of failing to disclose information about her husband’s planned travel to the conflict zone.

Moore and Jan pleaded not guilty. Nash, Shaukat and Thomason were not required to enter a formal plea.

Moore and Thomason were granted conditional bail. Jan, Nash and Shaukat were remanded. All five will appear at the Old Bailey on June 26.