Man accused of killing Scottish aid worker in Athens expected back in Greek court

A MAN ACCUSED of killing a Scottish aid worker and disposing of her body in a suitcase is expected to return to court in Athens today.

The 26-year-old is accused of killing Elisabeth-Jane Ross (38), who was discovered by a homeless man in a derelict building in the Kypseli area of the Greek capital on 18 July.

He is understood to be Sharif Ahmadzai, an Afghan boxer who left his home country after being orphaned as a teenager.

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

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

The court is located on the city’s Evelpidon Street, a short walk from where the charity worker’s body was found.

Ahmadzai was initially detained on illegal weapons possession charges and is facing a charge of homicide with intent, as well as allegations that he stole more than €10,000 from the victim’s bank accounts using her bank cards, police said.

Greek officials said he admitted moving the body but denied the homicide allegations.

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

Floral tributes have been placed outside the abandoned building where Ms Ross’s body was discovered.

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One had a card with the words “Rest in peace” written in Greek.

The derelict structure at 7 Evelpidon Street is heavily graffitied, missing a number of windows and is surrounded by tall metal barriers.

Police said the suspect was detained for questioning after investigators reviewed surveillance camera footage recorded nearby.

After allegedly killing Ms Ross, 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, a US citizen named Alaina Hall, told the police she suspected her husband’s involvement in the killing 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 a number of days before she was found, during which time temperatures reached 36C.

The Hellenic Police, Greece’s national force, were able to identify her using fingerprints.

Ms Ross, who is understood to be from Edinburgh, entered 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 Greek capital, but it is unclear if this ever happened.

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.

A Police Scotland spokesperson previously said: “We are aware of the death of a Scottish woman in Athens and are liaising with authorities in Greece.

“Officers are providing support to her family in Scotland.”