Boxer charged with killing British aid worker in Greece and dumping her body in suitcase

A man accused of killing a British aid worker and disposing of her body in a suitcase has appeared in court charged with homicide with intent.

The body of Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, was discovered by a homeless man in a derelict building in the Kypseli area of the Greek capital on 18 July.

The suspect accused of killing Ms Ross, also known as Lisa, is widely reported to be Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, an Afghan boxer who left his home country after being orphaned as a teenager.

The authorities are yet to publicly confirm his identity.

Ahmadzai previously appeared in court on Wednesday, having arrived in an unmarked car accompanied by masked police officers.

He arrived at the Court of First Instance in Athens at about 10.40am local time on Thursday, in the back of a grey Hyundai car with blacked-out windows.

During the hearing held behind closed doors, it is understood he was assigned a court-appointed lawyer and given time to prepare his defence.

Ahmadzai returned for a second hearing on Thursday, and again was flanked by masked officers as he arrived and left court.

Ahmadzai's lawyer, Christos Erdas, confirmed his client exercised his right to remain silent during the hearing, and that he did not submit a plea in relation to any of the three charges he faces.

Ahmadzai, who was initially detained on illegal weapons possession charges, is facing a charge of homicide with intent, as well as accusations he stole more than €10,000 (£8,573) from the victim's bank accounts using her bank cards.

Homicide with intent is understood to be equivalent to a murder charge in Britain.

The judge ordered Ahmadzai be kept in pre-trial detention while further evidence is compiled, ahead of another hearing at a future date.

Mr Erdas said further medical evidence is needed before his client will be in a position to tender a plea - including official confirmation of how Ms Ross died.

He said: "The reason for the silence is because we are waiting in the near future for some more documents and evidence to come to the judge.

"All of them are related to medical documents from the doctor who examined Lisa's body."

The cause of Ms Ross' death is still yet to be established, and this information is needed before his client will be in a position to submit a plea.

In a statement, Ms Ross's family said: "Lisa will always be remembered by us as kind, principled and selfless.

"Her integrity was absolute and she dedicated her life to helping others in need. We are in deep pain and we ask for time and privacy as we come to terms with our loss."

Greek police said last week there were no signs of injury or harm when Ms Ross' body was discovered. They said further tests are being carried out to establish how she died.

Mr Erdas also said they had put in a request for Ms Ross' own medical records to be obtained from the UK as part of the evidence in the case.

"At the same time we also asked the judge to order the communication with the authorities in Scotland and the UK, to get all the medical papers for Lisa," he said.

The court complex is in the city's Evelpidon Street, a short walk from the derelict building where the charity worker's body was discovered.

Police said the suspect was detained for questioning after investigators reviewed CCTV footage from near the abandoned building.

After allegedly killing Ms Ross, who is understood to be from Edinburgh in Scotland, Ahmadzai is accused of sending a series of messages from her phone to her friends and family before switching off the device.

He is then said to have bought another phone and texted her friends in Athens, including his wife, impersonating an unnamed jihadist saying he had killed the Scot because of her religion, Greek newspapers Proto Thema and Ta Nea reported.

The newspapers reported his wife told the police she suspected her husband's involvement in the death when she woke up to find he was not in their apartment and tracked his phone to where Ms Ross was staying.

Ms Ross is believed to have died between five and seven days before she was found.

The Hellenic Police, Greece's national force, were able to identify her using fingerprints and with the help of Interpol.

Ms Ross arrived in Greece on 26 June and was initially staying with friends in Piraeus, a port area of Athens.

She is then said to have gone to meet American friends in another part of the city, but it is unclear if she arrived at the event.

Authorities are awaiting the results of tissue analysis to determine whether she died from suffocation, as suggested by a preliminary assessment by the medical examiner.

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The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said earlier: "Our thoughts are with Elisabeth's family during this difficult time.

"We are providing consular support and are in contact with the local authorities."

Police Scotland also said officers are working with authorities in Greece.

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