Brother of British aid worker killed by ISIS ‘Beatles’ terror cell welcomes conviction of El Shafee Elsheikh saying guilty verdict ‘provides some closure’ for the family
- Mike Haines said El Shafee Elsheikh’s conviction has provided ‘some closure’
- The brother of David Haines, who was killed by the IS ‘Beatles’, welcomes verdict
- Elsheikh and fellow Beatle Alexanda Kotey will be sentenced later this month
The brother of a British aid worker killed by a so-called Islamic State terror cell known as ‘the Beatles’ has said the conviction of one of their members provided ‘some closure’ after an ‘eight year chapter of pain’.
Mike Haines, whose brother David Haines was murdered by the barbaric group, said the conviction of 33-year-old Londoner El Shafee Elsheikh in a US court yesterday ensured he ‘faced justice’.
David was captured by militants in Syria in March 2013 while delivering aid to the war-torn country.
His murder the following year was used for propaganda by ‘the Beatles’, who were given the moniker because of their distinctive British accents.
Elsheikh and fellow Beatle Alexanda Kotey will be sentenced for their part in the gruesome plot later this month.
In a statement, Mike Haines said: ‘While nothing can truly compensate for the hole David’s murder left in our hearts, the verdict provides us with some closure and ensures that all three surviving members of the gang involved in my brother’s murder have now faced justice.’
Mike Haines (right) with his brother David in the late 1990s. David was captured by militants in Syria in March 2013 while delivering aid to the war-torn country
Elsheikh could spend the rest of his life in a prison known as the ‘Alcatraz of the Rockies,’ joining notorious criminals like drug lord El Chapo, Boston bomber Dzhokar Tsarnaev, and Bonanno mob boss Vincent Basciano.
The cell, also said to be made up of ringleader Mohammed Emwazi, known as Jihadi John, and Aine Davis, was thought to be responsible for the brutal killings of several Western and Japanese captives, including Britons Alan Henning and Mr Haines.
The latter two did not form part of the indictment against Elsheikh and Kotey, the latter having already admitted his role in the atrocities, because the court was focusing only on US victims.
Mr Haines, who runs education charity Global Acts Of Unity in honour of his 44-year-old brother (pictured in 2012), said he is due to fly to the US for the sentencing hearing
It is believed the pair may yet face court in the UK for the deaths of British nationals.
Mr Haines, who runs education charity Global Acts Of Unity in honour of his 44-year-old brother, said he is due to fly to the US for the sentencing hearing.
He said: ‘My brother and the many other innocent lives taken by this terrorist organisation were never afforded justice.
‘This unanimous judgment is a triumph for society over ills like terrorism and helps differentiate us from the hateful, divisive ideologies that fuel these individuals.
‘It must also act as a warning to anyone else seduced by the false glamour of extremism.’
Elsheikh (left) and fellow Beatle Alexanda Kotey (right) will be sentenced for their part in the gruesome plot later this month
Elsheikh , in a courtroom sketch earlier this month, could spend the rest of his life in a prison known as the ‘Alcatraz of the Rockies’
David Haines’ daughter Bethany said the conclusion of the trial was ‘a lot more emotional’ than she expected.
Speaking after his conviction, Ms Haines told BBC One: ‘It was a lot more emotional than I expected.
‘I expected to be happy, excited, but it’s the realisation that he’s guilty, what he’s done to all the families, all the hostages.
‘I’ve not slept a full night’s sleep probably since my dad was killed in 2014 so hopefully tonight I’ll get a full night’s sleep.’
Yesterday Elsheikh was convicted of eight counts relating to four US hostages, James Foley, Steven Sotloff, Peter Kassig, and Kayla Mueller, after a trial at the US District Court in Alexandria, Virginia.
Following the verdict, Commander Richard Smith, head of the Met’s counter terrorism command, said the force had provided evidence to the US court.
He added: ‘This evidence has contributed to the overall prosecution case, and enabled our colleagues in the US to ensure this man has been brought to justice for some of the most evil and terrible crimes imaginable.
‘It shows how we, along with our international partners, are absolutely determined to identify and bring those responsible for extremely serious terrorist offences to justice, even if those offences have been committed on foreign soil.’
Kotey, left, and Elsheikh. Speaking after Elsheikh’s conviction, Ms Haines told BBC One: ‘It was a lot more emotional than I expected’
Like other terrorists – such as Al-Qaeda’s co-founder Mamdouh Mahmud Salim and British ‘Underwear’ bomber Richard C. Reid – Elsheikh will more than likely rub elbows with the worst-of-the-worst at Colorado’s Florence ADX, which is most commonly known as just ADX.
The notorious prison is known as the worst facility in the US, with its roughened conditions and inmates spending up to 23 hours a day in their cells.
Elsheikh, Kotey and Emwazi all knew each other in England before joining IS, the court was told.
Elsheikh was captured alongside Kotey in Syria in 2018 by the US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces while trying to escape to Turkey.
Last year, Kotey pleaded guilty to eight counts relating to his involvement, while Davis was jailed in Turkey and Emwazi was killed in a drone strike.
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