Afghan migrant accused of killing British charity worker then hiding her in a suitcase is seen heading to Greek court

By VIVEK CHAUDHARY, SENIOR REPORTER Published: 09:08, 5 August 2026 | Updated: 09:29, 5 August 2026 An Afghan small boat migrant accused of killing a British woman and then hiding her body in a suitcase appeared in court for the first time this morning. Sharif Ahmadzai , 26 is charged with the killing of Elisabeth Jane Ross, 38, a committed Christian who was in Athens volunteering for a charity helping vulnerable people. Ahmadzai was brought to the Evelpidon court complex in Athens in a car with blacked out windows. He was surrounded by four-armed police as he emerged from a silver car and led handcuffed into court to appear before an investigating judge. He was asked to provide his version of events on what took place on the night of July 15 when Ms Ross is believed to have been killed. But he asked for more time and a lawyer with the hearing cut short and lasting around 90 minutes.  Ahmadzai was surrounded by police as he was led out of the court after the judge ordered him to reappear tomorrow. He stared at the ground while being marched into a silver car.  Ahmadzai is also due to appear before a Greek prosecutor on Thursday where the charges will be formally put to him. In addition to ‘intentional homicide’ he has also been charged with robbery and weapons offences. According to initial reports, he is planning to deny the killing claiming that he found Ms Ross dead in a bathroom and then panicked, leading him to dispose of her body.  A court appointed lawyer is representing him. He is expected to be remanded in custody and face trial within the next 18 months. Sharif Ahmadzai , 26 is charged with the killing of Elisabeth Jane Ross, 38, a committed Christian who was in Athens volunteering for a charity According to initial reports, he is planning to deny the killing claiming that he found Ms Ross dead in a bathroom Sharif Ahmadzai was surrounded by four-armed police Elisabeth Jane Ross was found dead with her body stuffed in a suitcase in an abandoned Athens building Ahmadzai reached the island of Lesvos in 2016. He then converted to Christianity and married US-born Christian Alaina Hall in 2023 before they set up a ministry helping refugees in Athens. The couple are believed to have known Ms Ross, who was also a Christian volunteer, through their work. They had a key to the flat she was staying in as it was owned by their organisation, Love Every Nation Athens, police sources told the Daily Mail. Officers started probing Ahmadzai after his wife allegedly reported her husband had been behaving suspiciously on July 30. She allegedly said she woke to find him missing on the evening of July 15 and checked his shared location which showed him at Ms Ross's apartment.  Ahmadzai is understood to have told police he found Ms Ross already dead in her bathroom. He allegedly admitted he used the victim's bank cards to withdraw cash and also used her phone to send messages to relatives and friends, pretending to be her. Ahmadzai's wife grew suspicious when it was announced Ms Ross's body had been found. She left the family home with their baby and stayed in a hotel. Ahmadzai gave her the sum of 2,550 euros and a new Apple iPhone 17 Pro but she refused them. She handed them to police believing they were bought with Ms Ross's money. Detectives raided the family home on August 1 and found a black metal replica Glock-style pistol and a black military-style knife, sources say. Police sources previously revealed that Ahmadzai - who had converted to Christianity - told his wife that he had argued with Ms Ross because she wanted him to join her 'stricter' Christian group.  He was arrested shortly after Ms Ross's mobile phone - which had been off for days - was suddenly switched on earlier this week with police immediately tracing it to a residence in Athens where he was staying.  When questioned by detectives, his wife told officers they had earlier been staying in Arachova, a mountainous village around two hours away from Athens and while there she became concerned after her husband went missing.  After using a shared location tracking app, she saw that he was in an apartment in Rethymnou Street, where Ms Ross was staying and is believed to have been killed.  Sharif Ahmadzai was arrested shortly after Ms Ross's mobile phone - which had been off for days - was suddenly switched on earlier this week Ahmadzai converted to Christianity and married US-born Christian Alaina Hall in 2023 A police source revealed: 'The woman told us that her husband had confided in her that he was angry with the British woman. She was trying to influence him religiously and it became too much for him.'  Ms Ross, who was from Edinburgh, had been a regular visitor to Greece over the past seven years volunteering with NGOs helping refugees, homeless people and other vulnerable groups.  She had previously volunteered with the One Heart organisation when in Greece, which specialises in providing medical support to refugees, particularly those from Afghanistan or Iran. She arrived in Athens on June 26 and had initially been staying with Greek friends in the Keratsini district, the country's main seaport close to the city. Police confirmed that she moved to Rethymnou Street in Athens city centre on July 2 and was volunteering with a Christian-based NGO working with refugees and other vulnerable groups. CCTV footage gathered by police showed the Afghan man arriving by car at Ms Ross's ground-floor flat on the evening of July 16. At around 10pm, cameras captured him carrying the suitcase along the road on which the abandoned car park is located. Thirteen minutes later he is seen walking away from the derelict site without the suitcase. The last confirmed sign of life from Ms Ross was recorded at 9.41pm on July 15, when she called a close friend. Following that, her friends and relatives continued to receive messages from her, but they became suspicious that they were not genuine because of the style of language. She also spoke about going away and wanting to be alone, which they thought was out of character for her.