Jury out in Syria terrorism trial

A jury in a Syrian terrorism trial in Northern Ireland has retired to consider its verdicts.

Eamon Bradley, 28, from Londonderry, denies six charges including attending a rebel training camp in the Middle East war zone and receiving training in guns and grenades.

The "bedrock" of the prosecution case surrounds interviews Bradley gave to police after he was arrested upon his return home over images of him apparently posing with guns posted on social media.

He told a detective he was spirited into Syria from Turkey in a makeshift raft and joined the forces of a faction opposed to Syrian President Bashar Assad and Islamic State.

Bradley described being given months of training in using weapons before attending three battles as a junior soldier armed with a firearm and grenade.

He denied firing a single bullet and returned home disillusioned after initially going to help the Syrian people.

Sending the jury out at Londonderry Crown Court, Judge Brian Sherrard said Bradley's defence had attempted to introduce doubts about the police interviews, centring on his apparent lack of knowledge about military matters and about the Army of Islam, which he said he joined.

Prosecutors said he was not a fantasist and his account to police was the truth.

Bradley is originally from Melmore Gardens in Creggan.