Fourth alleged IS 'Beatle' Aine Davis charged with terrorism offences after arrest at Luton airport

A man alleged to be the fourth member of the so-called Beatles Islamic State terror cell has been charged with terrorism offences after being deported to England by Turkish authorities.

Aine Lesley Junior Davis, 38, from Hammersmith, west London, was arrested on Wednesday evening after arriving at Luton airport on a flight from Turkey.

He has been charged with terrorism offences in relation to events in 2014 and possession of a firearm for a purpose connected with terrorism, the Crown Prosecution Service said on Thursday.

He is accused of inviting another to provide money intending that it should be used for terrorism purposes, contrary to section 15 of the Terrorism Act 2000, between 13 and 16 January 2014.

Davis faces a second charge of entering into or becoming concerned with an arrangement, as a result of which money was to be made available to another, knowing or having reason to suspect it was to be used for the purposes of terrorism, contrary to section 17 of the Terrorism Act 2000, between 13 and 16 January 2014.

He is also charged with possessing an article, namely a firearm, in circumstances which give rise to a reasonable suspicion that his possession is for a purpose connected with the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism, contrary to section 57 of the Terrorism Act 2000. That offence was allegedly committed between 28 July 2013 and 16 January 2014.

Davis is also known as Aine Leslie Rodrigues, and adopted and used the name "Hamza" following his conversion to the Islamic faith, according to the CPS.

He appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday morning and was remanded in custody.

Davis did not enter any pleas to the charges and will next appear at the Old Bailey on 2 September for a pre-trial hearing.

The IS "Beatles" are thought to have been responsible for the kidnap and holding of more than 20 Westerners and the execution of at least seven of them, including Britons David Haines and Alan Henning and American aid workers Kayla Mueller and Peter Kassig.

The group caused outrage around the world after releasing videos of the executions of US journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff.

Survivors told of how they nicknamed their captors the "Beatles" because of their British accents, nicknaming the cell ringleader and executioner - Mohammed Emwazi from Queen's Park, west London - "John".

He was later given the nickname "Jihadi John", and is said to have died in a US drone strike in Syria in November 2015.

El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey, also from West London, were "Ringo" and "George".

Kotey was jailed in the US in April for his part in the torture and murder of hostages. Elsheikh will be sentenced in August for his role.

A fourth member, who was said to be less involved, was apparently known as "Paul".