Former British boxing champion on trial after trying to join ISIS

Former British and Commonwealth boxing champion Anthony Small is on trial after allegedly trying to travel to Syria to join notorious militant group, ISIS.

Small was  arrested in 2014 with two other men after they were apprehended at Dover with false documents.

The 33-year was charged with planning to go to Syria to fight with Islamic State after spreading terrorist material online.

At a court hearing on Monday, June 15, it was alleged that Small sold his gloves and other fighting memorabilia to fund his trip to Syria to fight for ISIS.

According to the charge Small planned to travel to the war-torn country with two other suspected terrorists but broke his hand two days before the trip, it is claimed.

It was revealed by the prosecutor Richard Whittam QC that Small had started the process of getting a false Portuguese passport and driving licence before his arrest.

"He was the British and Commonwealth champion at light middleweight," Whittam QC said.

"That is relevant because he was, moving up towards the time of the arrests in November, selling some of his memorabilia, boxing gloves and boots and the like.

"You may think that was to raise money. Although he had yet to receive his false documents the same people who provided the false documents for the first two defendants had prepared false documents for him."

"The prosecution case is they intended to travel to Syria to join with and support the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant, known as ISIL or ISIS.

"If they were going to Syria to join ISIS fighters, if they were doing that they were joining in combat in preparation for acts of terrorism. Fighting abroad would amount to an act of terrorism."