Moment mum discovered her son was Jihadi Jack

The mum of a young Muslim convert dubbed Jihadi Jack wept in court as she told of the moment her son called her to say: Mum, Im in Syria.

Sally Lane, 56, told of the tightrope she and her husband John Letts, 58, were forced to tread as they tried to keep in contact with Jack Letts.

The couple are on trial at the Old Bailey accused of sending or trying to send sums totalling £1,723 to their son, even though they had every reason to believe he had joined Isis.

He was 18 when he left home in Oxford and travelled abroad, married in Iraq and moved to Raqqa in Syria, jurors have heard.

His parents allegedly ignored repeated warnings that they faced legal trouble if they tried to help their son while he was in Isis territory.

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Giving evidence at the Old Bailey, Lane told jurors her son had initially gone to Jordan and Kuwait to study.

She said: He seemed like he was enjoying himself, relaxing and enjoying the country.

But on September 2, 2014, phone records showed a flurry of calls.

Lane said: That was the day I found out. Jack phoned me. I was alone in the house. It was just a very quick phone call. He said, “Mum, Im in Syria”.

I was horrified. I screamed at him, “How could you be so stupid? You will get killed. You will get beheaded”.

Jack Letts, who is said to suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder, did not phone again until September 24, 2014.

Lane said: He apologised for not having phoned since that call. He said he had been ill. He had been travelling.

He did not say exactly where he was. He tried to be reassuring, saying everything is fine. Its a civilian area, its not a war zone. Someone had looked after him when he was ill and not to worry.

Defence lawyer Tim Moloney QC asked: How did all that contact make you feel?

Lane replied: In the first few weeks, we did not know whether he was alive or dead. At least we were reassured he was alive.

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She attempted to use a £5,000 inheritance from her sons grandfather as a bribe to encourage him and his new wife Asmaa to get somewhere safe.

But on May 21, he posted a photograph of himself in Raqqa, Syria.

Meanwhile, the family continued to have acrimonious religious and political debates from afar.

Lane said: It was a bit different when he is actually in the region rather than in our kitchen.

On July 30, she said she felt sick when her son appeared to threaten to behead an old school friend, Linus Doubtfire.

Mr Doubtfire had posted a picture on Facebook as he completed his Commando Artillery Course in the British Army.

Jack Letts commented: I would love to perform a martyrdom operation in this scene.

His mother told jurors: I thought it was not him because it was a public post. Jack had told me that other people used his account.

Around this time also we were receiving false information. I received a message on an account saying he was dead, for instance.

METRO

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