The sister of notorious ISIS executioner ‘Jihadi Sid’ developed a crush on a journalist documentary producer telling her family’s story, harassing him and his ex-girlfriend, a court heard today.
Konika Dhar, 32, of North Circular Road, Palmers Green, Enfield, the sister of Siddartha Dhar, 35, who fled the UK with his wife and four children to join ISIS, featured in ’My Son the Jihadi.’
The documentary was produced by Sunday Times Security Correspondent Richard Kerbaj, who afterwards received unsolicited heart emoji’s and flattering messages from Dhar.
She sent messages including: ‘Looking beautiful Richard x’ and ‘You look beautiful Richard xx.’
At Camberwell Green Magistrates Court she pleaded guilty that between January 1, 2016 and April 4, this year she harassed Mr. Kerbaj with online threats.
She also pleaded guilty that between August 1, 2016 and April 4 she harassed his ex-girlfriend, Times reporter Katie Gibbons, with online threats.
Dhar appeared before the Commons Home Affairs Committee in January, 2016 to answer questions about her brother’s appearance in an ISIS propaganda video showed ‘British spies’ being executed.
Her brother, a former bouncy castle salesman converted from Hinduism to Islam and changed his name to Abu Rumaysah an is now on the US State Department’s global terror list.
Prosecutor Mr. Akram Rana told the court: “The victims are Richard Kerbaj and Katie Gibbons. Mr. Kerbaj is the Security Correspondent at The Sunday Times and his role is to write about national security and terrorism.
“Dhar is the sister of Siddartha Dhar, known as ‘Jihadi Sid’, who travelled to Syria to join ISIS.
“Mr. Kerbaj was producing documentaries for Channel Four about the families of Islamic terrorists and approached a number of families, including Konika Dhar.
“Het met her several times and the relationship was purely professional and he met her to tell the story of being the sister of ‘Jihadi Sid’.
“Afterwards she began to contact Richard, sending heart emoji’s and other inappropriate messages, which he tried to play down by telling her, her phone must have been hacked.
“He made it clear to her the messages were inappropriate,” added Mr. Rana.
“Dhar found out Mr. Kerbaj had a previous relationship with Katie Gibbons and she was upset by this and contacted Ms Gibbons and her family and set up a fake Facebook account as Katie.”
Dhar was reported to the police for harassment and after a gap in contact began messaging again in December, last year.
She sent flattering WhatsApp messages to Mr. Kerbaj and emailed The Times on seven separate occasions, regarding his relationship with Ms Gibbons.
Dhar also sent messages to Ms Gibbons’ family on Facebook, including one to her sister, which read: ‘What is your sister doing with my husband? What the f*** is your sister doing?’
She also messaged Mr. Kerbaj’s father and mentioned the journalist’s new girlfriend, writing: ‘Your son belongs with me, not Marine.’
The Sunday Times have applied for a High Court restraining order against Dhar, prohibiting contact with the two complainants and their friends and family and going within 200 metres of their Southwark HQ.
District Judge Stuart Miller bailed Dhar for sentencing on October 30, telling her: “The court wants the benefit of a pre-sentence report before it can pass sentence.”
She was bailed on condition she does not contact the complainants or their friends and relatives.
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