A British Army reject who trained to fight against Islamic State has been found guilty of terrorism offences following a landmark trial.
Aidan James, 28, from Formby, Merseyside, had no previous military knowledge when he set out to join the bloody war in 2017.
Following an Old Bailey retrial, James, who was repeatedly turned down by British armed forces due to his mental health, was found guilty of training in weapons with the banned Marxist political organization the PKK in Iraq.
But he was cleared of a second charge of attending a place of terror training with Kurdish YPG units – or “People’s Protection Units” – in Syria.
The defendant was remanded into custody to be sentenced on November 7.
It is the first time a Briton has been put on trial for going to Syria to oppose IS, after similar charges were dropped against ex-soldier James Matthews, 43, from Dalston, east London.
The court had heard how James was in contact with the anti-terror Prevent program before he left Britain for Iraq in August 2017.
According to an officer’s notes of a meeting in April, ruled inadmissible in the trial by Mr Justice Edis, James said he wanted to help the “PKK YPG” in their battle against Isis.
Days later, he was arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts by police after broadcasting his intentions on Facebook.
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