‘Beatles’ terror sufferer’s brother ‘able to stare down those that killed David’

The brother of murdered assist employee David Haines mentioned he’s ready to stare down the so-called Islamic State terrorists accused of murdering his sibling when he comes face-to-face with them for the primary time later this week.

Mike Haines is within the US to learn a sufferer affect assertion as Londoner Alexanda Kotey is sentenced for his function within the terror cell’s homicide of 4 hostages.

The group, dubbed The Beatles because of their English accents, was mentioned to be made up of ringleader Mohammed Emwazi, generally known as Jihadi John, Aine Davis, El Shafee Elsheikh and Kotey, and was chargeable for the brutal killings of a lot of Western captives, believed to incorporate Britons Alan Henning and David Haines.

The costs in opposition to Kotey, and his co-accused Elsheikh, who was convicted after trial this month, solely function US victims, however each he and Elsheikh will seem in courtroom in Virginia on Friday when the households of these murdered by the fear cell deal with the choose on their collective loss.

Elsheikh is predicted to be sentenced at a later date.

Mr Haines, an RAF veteran and former psychological well being nurse, advised the PA information company: “In some methods clearly I’m fairly nervous, and in different methods I’m wanting ahead to staring them within the face, to drawing a line behind what has occurred.

“And that’s the actual cause (for) going out to learn my affect assertion to the courtroom – to attract a line within the sand and say: ‘Sure, you will have performed a giant half in my household’s life, you will have had a maintain on my household’s life.

“‘Nonetheless, now, that stops’.”

Elsheikh, Kotey and Emwazi all knew one another in England earlier than becoming a member of IS.

Elsheikh was captured alongside Kotey in Syria in 2018 by the US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces whereas attempting to flee to Turkey.

Davis was jailed in Turkey and Emwazi was killed in a drone strike, whereas Kotey final yr pleaded responsible to eight counts regarding his involvement within the hostage plot.

Mr Haines, from Dundee in Scotland, mentioned he would cherish the chance to sit down down with Kotey to “look him within the eyes and inform him he has been misguided”.

And in a unprecedented demonstration of his rejection of hatred, Mr Haines added: “What I want to hear, though I don’t assume it is going to ever occur, is for Kotey to say: ‘I’m sorry, what we had been doing was unsuitable.’

“And if that was to occur, (for him to say) ‘What we had been doing was not about Islam … it was concerning the unfold of terror’, then I might really shake his hand.”

Mr Haines’ 44-year-old youthful brother was captured by militants in Syria in March 2013 whereas delivering assist to the war-torn nation.

His homicide the next yr despatched shockwaves world wide when a video recording of his barbaric execution was used as propaganda by the Beatles.

The household nonetheless have no idea what has occurred to the physique.

However Mr Haines, who runs schooling charity World Acts Of Unity in honour of his brother, mentioned it’s “not vital” for him to seek out out the place David’s stays are.

“Wherever David’s stays lie, no matter has been accomplished to them … David walks with me nonetheless,” he mentioned.

“On the finish of the presentation, I can really feel him pat me on the again and say: ‘Good one.’

“My brother walks with me nonetheless I don’t want his stays to mourn over.”

Mr Haines, 55, mentioned he continues to be affected by terror assaults across the globe, and was really in Manchester the night time of the Enviornment suicide bomb which killed 22 folks in 2017.

He mentioned: “Each time that we hear of an assault, there’s unhappiness in our hearts, as a result of we all know that this membership that we belong to has simply expanded – that membership that no one needs to be part of who’ve had relations and family members injured, maimed or murdered in an act of terrorism.

“Nonetheless, what we now have seen over and again and again is the way in which that individuals reply to assaults of terror.

“What we attempt to do with World Acts of Unity is present that if we react with hate, the extremists and terrorists win. And they won’t win.”

Kotey is predicted to be given a life sentence however might but be delivered to the UK to face trial over the deaths of Mr Haines and Mr Henning.