Man from Birmingham jailed after pledging oath of allegiance to a former Islamic State leader

A man from Birmingham has been jailed for 11 years for terrorism offences after being found guilty of being a member of a proscribed organisation and sharing extremist material on a WhatsApp group.Kyle Marcano, 28, was found guilty of four counts of dissemination of terrorist publications and one count of membership of a proscribed organisation.During his trial at Birmingham Crown Court, the court heard that Marcano had been in a chat group which shared terrorism material.

Marcano had also pledged an oath of allegiance to the then leader of Islamic State.

He also sent terrorist publications with intent, including an Islamic State recruitment video.

Marcano pleaded guilty to four offences last November.Detective Chief Superintendent Alison Hurst, who leads CTP West Midlands CTU, said: “The jury found Marcano guilty of being a fully-fledged member of ISIS from the evidence that was presented during the trial.“We will continue to protect local communities by working with partners and the CPS to pursue and prosecute all those who show support for terrorism.“We work tirelessly to counter terrorism. Our absolute priority is to ensure the safety and security of the people who live, work and visit the West Midlands area."

Marcano was also given a four-year extended licence having been assessed as a dangerous offender.

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