‘Suitcase killer’ claims he gave Brit’s body to mysterious ‘old man’ & insists his Christianity is proof he’s innocent

THE Afghan boxer accused of killing a Brit charity worker and stuffing her body in a suitcase claims he handed her remains to an “old man”. Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, allegedly murdered Elisabeth-Jane Ross, 38, in Athens, Greece, but has claimed his Christian faith is proof he is innocent. Sharif Ahmadzai seen being bundled into a car after a short hearing at the Athens Court House in Kypseli Credit: PA Sharif Ahmadzai was surrounded by masked officers as he attended a court hearing Credit: FlashGR/X/@JohnKemmos He appeared in court today for an initial hearing in an unmarked grey Hyundai i30 car, alongside a number of masked police officers. During the session, he told authorities of his “panic” when he discovered Elisabeth’s body at the apartment she was staying at in Kypseli on July 15. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Ahmadzai told court officials the same story he recited to police after his arrest – but this time added the detail of “an elderly man” who he gave the suitcase to. The suspect claimed he met the old man, who “worked at hospitals”, at a bus stop outside the flat on the day he found Elisabeth’s body. 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 The suspect being led out of court on Wednesday Credit: FlashGR/X/@JohnKemmos The mystery man supposedly advised him to dump the remains in an abandoned building – but Ahmadzai went home and left the body in the flat. The suspect said he went back to the apartment the next day, July 16, and placed Elisabeth’s body in a suitcase. When he arrived at an abandoned building opposite the Panhellenic University, Ahmadzai found the same man who had advised him the day before. The suspect said: “He told me to leave the suitcase with him and he would take care of it. Most read in The Sun A car carrying Ahmadzai arrives at the Athens Court House early on Wednesday Credit: PA Sharif Ahmadzai with his wife Alaina Hall Credit: Pixel8000 “Of course, he asked me for money in return. “I explained to him that at that moment I didn’t have any and that I would find it and give it to him.” Ahmadzai told authorities that his Christian faith meant he was innocent of any wrongdoing. He said: “It was from the love for my family that I drew the strength to tell you the truth. Chilling CCTV footage shows a man matching the Afghan’s description wheeling a black suitcase through the streets of Athens Credit: iefimerida.gr Elisabeth had reportedly met Ahmadzai while she was volunteering for a refugee charity in Greece Credit: UGC/UNPIXS “My wife and I are Evangelical Christians, and at the same time, we do volunteer work and charitable activities.” He is expected back in court tomorrow. The suspect 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 (£8,500) from ATMs in Greece using stolen credit cards that belonged to the victim. The suspect claims he saw Elisabeth, who he knew as Lisa, lying on the floor of her bathroom on July 15 Credit: Pixel8000 But he has continued to deny murdering Elisabeth. In a statement, the defendant said: “I never did anything bad to anyone. “I want you to understand me and believe me. I was just in a panic.” He claims he saw Elisabeth, who he knew as Lisa, lying on the floor of her bathroom on July 15 before leaving her and walking home. In 2017, the suspect met his wife Alaina Hall, from Georgia in the US, and they married in 2023 Credit: Pixel8000 The suspect pictured with his wife Alaina Credit: Enterprise Racked with guilt, Ahmadzai says he returned the next day and placed the Brit’s body inside a suitcase and drove away with her in the trunk. His version of events in court are the same as what he initially told police when arrested. Ahmadzai is due to be formally charged with intentional homicide, robbery and illegal possession of a weapon tomorrow. Investigators have already managed to put together several lines of enquiries linking Ahmadzai to the crime. It comes amid fears the suspect will use “every trick in the book” to delay the murder probe against him. Legal experts told The Sun Ahmadzai would “almost certainly” request 48 hours to prepare a testimony today – almost immediately ending the hearing. He was seen being bundled into a car just an hour later after being assigned a court-appointed lawyer who reportedly asked for extra time. Court officials told The Sun the suspect’s legal team was only granted 24 hours due to the “suspicion of his actions”. Ahmadzai was taken back to a holding cell in Athens where he has already been locked up for six nights. Chilling CCTV footage showed 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. 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 in Greece. Old Facebook posts from an account believed to be Ahmadzai’s speak about the man’s disdain for certain charity work. Back in May, a post reads: “Shame on corruption dressed like charity. “Shame on business wearing the name of Christ. In the name of Christ, people are being used. “Volunteers, students, churches, and families from America and Europe are giving their time, money, and trust but many of them never stop to ask the most important question: ‘Where is the money really going?’ “I have met good people there. I will never deny that. But good volunteers do not automatically make a corrupt system holy.” Bombshell testimony from Alaina in recent days suggests 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, raised suspicions with police after receiving a series of flashy gifts. Ahmadzai had given her €2,550 (£2,200) and a new iPhone 17 Pro which Alaina feared may have been purchased using Elisabeth’s stolen bank cards. Comment now