The terror suspect who came to UK and joined a flying school

Police investigated alleged Syrian refugee who wanted ‘to call his son War’

‘He had an expectation of how the boy should fight’

A MAN who fled to the UK saying he was escaping persecution in Syria was then investigated by anti-terrorism officers after he began pilot training and was accused of supporting Islamist terrorists, a court has heard.

The unnamed 34-year-old was given indefinite leave to remain in this country but his estranged wife later accused him of lying about his nationality, saying he was Egyptian, not Syrian.

She said her husband had “expressed glorification of war” and wanted a child to be called “War” in Arabic.

He was said to have bought bullet-proof clothes, gas masks, knives and night-vision goggles to send to “friends in Syria”. His wife, 31, said he had bought a “replica AK-47 with laser” as a first birthday present for one son.

She said he had exposed the boy to violent films, had an “expectation” of how the boy “should fight” and had posed with child in a “freedom fighter” stance.

The man began a university course in air transport and pilot training, at Buckinghamshire New University in September 2013, about six months after being given indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

Scotland Yard’s Counter Terrorism Unit investigated the man in early 2014, but he was not arrested or charged with any terrorism-related offences.

Details of the man’s back- ground emerged in a family court ruling to decide the future of the estranged couple’s sons after a hearing in Bristol.

Ms Justice Russell, who is based in the Family Division of the High Court in London, heard that the man had been convicted of separate, unrelated offences and jailed in 2015. She was told he was still in custody and subject to a deportation order.

Ms Justice Russell said the anonymity of the children had to be protected and did not identify anyone involved.

The man’s estranged wife had made allegations about him and had been interviewed by police, said Ms Justice Russell in her ruling. The man had said his estranged wife was lying and had “started a conspiracy against me”.

Ms Justice Russell said she did not think the woman, also a Muslim, had pursued radicalisation allegations against the man to add to the gravity of her case.

She said the man had shown an “active interest in the conflict in Syria”.

Ms Justice Russell said the man had made a statement during the case which amounted to “little more than a lengthy diatribe” against his estranged wife and the “British justice system”.

The judge noted that the man had been jailed for domestic abuse against his estranged wife and ordered that the children should live with their mother.