Fears ‘suitcase killer’ using ‘every trick’ to delay probe as he appears in court YARDS from where Brit was found dead

THE Afghan boxer accused of killing a Brit charity worker in Athens and dumping her body in a suitcase has appeared in court for the first time. Experts fear a “cunning” Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, may now use “every trick in the book” to try and delay the murder probe against him. A car carrying Sharif Ahmadzai arrives at the Athens Court House complex in Kypseli Credit: PA Sharif Ahmadzai with his wife Alaina Credit: Instagram Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, was discovered by a homeless man in a derelict building in the Kypseli area of the Greek capital on July 18 Credit: Facebook/@Joanne Noble He is accused of killing Christian aid worker Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, after she was discovered by a homeless man in a derelict building on July 18. Ahmadzai arrived at court for a initial hearing in an unmarked grey Hyundai i30 car, alongside a number of police officers. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! The courthouse is located on Evelpidon Street in the Greek capital – just a few minutes away from where Elisabeth’s body was found. The hearing will be held in private but judicial experts say Ahmadzai and his legal team could stall for time over his case. Read more in suitcase death Legal experts told The Sun Ahmadzai would “almost certainly” request 48 hours to prepare a testimony today – almost immediately ending the hearing. Ahmadzai would be taken back to a holding cell in Athens where he has already been locked up for six nights. He has already admitted to putting Elisabeth’s body into a suitcase and taking her to the abandoned site. Ahmadzai also confessed to withdrawing €10,000 from ATMs in Greece using stolen credit cards that belonged to the victim. Most read in The Sun Chilling CCTV footage shows a man matching the Afghan’s description wheeling a black suitcase through the streets of Athens Credit: iefimerida.gr Ahmadzai has confessed to dumping the body but denies murdering Elisabeth Credit: Facebook But he has continued to deny murdering Elisabeth. One prominent criminal lawyer said: “He has stuck to the line that he didn’t kill the Briton which no one in the homicide division believes but that notwithstanding, it is clear it will be his line of defense.” Ahmadzai has been charged with murder, robbery and illegal possession of a weapon. Investigators have already managed to put together several lines of enquiries linking Ahmadzai to the crime. Chilling CCTV footage shows a man matching the Afghan’s description wheeling a black suitcase through the streets of Athens on July 16. Several text messages were also sent to Elisabeth’s friends and family after her death which are believed to have been sent from her suspected killer. In an attempt to cover his tracks Ahmadzai pretended to be an unnamed jihadist who killed the Scottish national because she was trying to convert people to Christianity, Greek news outlet Proto Thema reports. Ahmadzai fled Afghanistan in 2016 after his entire family were wiped out by the Taliban. Elisabeth had reportedly met Ahmadzai while she was volunteering for a refugee charity in Greece Credit: UGC/UNPIXS Boxer Ahmadzai has been charged with murder, robbery and illegal possession of a weapon Credit: Instagram He reportedly paid smugglers to bring him to Britain, but later crossed through Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey before eventually settling in Greece. After converting to Christianity in 2017 he met his wife Alaina Hall, from Georgia in the US, and they married in 2023. Elisabeth reportedly met Ahmadzai and Alaina while volunteering for a refugee charity. Bombshell testimony from Alaina suggested her husband visited Elisabeth’s apartment on the night of her disappearance. She claimed she woke up in the early hours of July 15 to find him missing – and when she traced his location using Find My Friends it showed him at her apartment. George Kalliakmanis, an ex-cop who heads the police union in Athens, told The Sun: “He went to the flat where she was staying for a reason. “What was it? Nothing can be ruled out. Did she reject him? Nothing can be ruled out.” Alaina, who gave birth to the pair’s child a few years ago, also raised suspicions with police after receiving a series of flashy gifts. Ahmadzai had given her 2,550 euros (£2,200) and a new iPhone 17 Pro which Alaina feared may have been purchased using Elisabeth’s stolen bank cards. Comment now