Mother of British al-Shabaab jihadi Thomas Evans tells of 'relief' at son's death

Sally Evans' son was killed in June while leading an assault on a Kenyan security forces in Lamu County

Thomas Evans, British man who joined Somalian terror group Al-Shabaab and was killed in a battle (Helen Yates/INS)

The mother of a white British jihadi killed fighting for Al-Shabaab, the Somali terror group, has spoken of the complicated emotions she experienced when she learnt of her son's death.

Sally Evans, whose son Thomas was killed while leading an assault on security forces in Kenya, told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire show that she had been both "totally devastated" and relieved to hear of her son's death.

"When I found out what he was involved in, what he was actually doing, of course I was relieved that he was dead, so he couldn't do that to anybody else anymore," she said.

As part of al-Shabaab Thomas Evans is thought to have taken part in attacks including one on the Kenyan town of Mpeketoni in 2014 which left 70 people dead, and an attack on Garissa University College in April 2015 in which 147 people were killed.

Thomas's younger brother Michael, appearing on the show alongside his mother, said he was angry that his brother had "thrown his life away", but also spoke of a "sense of relief" knowing that his brother "couldn't hurt anyone anymore".

Thomas Evans was killed in June while taking part in an al-Shabaab assault on Kenyan security forces base in Baure, Lamu County in Kenya.

The 25-year-old from Buckinghamshire, who had changed his named to Abdul Hakim, was acting as second in command and cameraman for the group.


 Thomas Evans is thought to have taken part in the attack on Garissa University College in April 2015 in which 147 people were killed 
 (Getty)

Sally Evans said she only found out about her son's death when a journalist called to ask for comment.

Speaking on the Victoria Derbyshire show, brother Michael told how they had searched Twitter to find out what had happened to Thomas and came across the image Kenyan authorities had posted of the men killed in the raid.

"He was white and he stuck out like a sore thumb - you just knew it was him straight away," Michael said.

Thomas Evans converted to Islam in 2010. His mother had originally supported her son's choice, but was disappointed at changes it led to in his behaviour.

He left the UK in 2011, telling his mother he was going to study Arabic in Egypt for six months.

At least 50 Britons are thought to have joined al-Shabaab. A Wall Street Journal article from February cited UK security sources as putting the number at about 100.