Terror suspect Smith pictured for the first time since leaving jail

The former Defence Forces member signed on at a garda station yesterday morning as part of her bail conditions.

She was driven from the address where she is staying in the north-east at around 10.30am, after walking calmly to the car.

Mother-of-one Ms Smith, who was dressed in clothing that left only part of her face uncovered, did not spend long at the garda station.

After signing on at the station she was driven back to the house where she had come from but declined to make any comment.

Escort

On New Year's Eve, Ms Smith was escorted from the jail in a white prison van at around 4.45pm and brought to an undisclosed location where it is understood she was met by a family member.

The escort was provided by the Irish Prison Service for "security reasons", a source said.

Ms Smith had been granted bail by the High Court but the District Court had rejected an attempt by a third party to lodge an independent surety on the grounds he had previous convictions and was not related to the defendant.

Paul Grimes, from Dundalk, Co Louth, had offered to put up an independent surety, in a bid to satisfy bail conditions that would have allowed Ms Smith to go free for Christmas.

However, the offer was rejected at a special sitting of the District Court on Christmas Eve.

However, on Tuesday a €5,000 surety, of which €1,000 was to be lodged, was accepted by the courts. Ms Smith was to lodge €500 of her own cash.

Ms Smith (37) is charged with being a member of an unlawful terrorist group "styling itself the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (Isil), also known as Isis, contrary to the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005, between October 28, 2015, and December 1, 2019.

As part of strict bail conditions set by the courts, Ms Smith, who denies the charges against her, must reside at an address in the north-east and sign on at a garda station twice daily, between 10am and 1pm and 3 and 6pm.

She was also ordered to obey a curfew, having to remain indoors from 8pm to 7am. She cannot leave the jurisdiction or apply for travel documentation.

She must also provide gardai with a contact mobile phone number within 48 hours of taking up her bail.

Ms Smith, who denies the charge, has also been banned from accessing the internet or using any social media and she must not have contact with non-garda witnesses in the case.

Ms Smith, who left Ireland and married after she converted to Islam, had been found in a Syrian refugee camp.

After a trek to Turkey with her daughter, they were brought back to Ireland on December 1.