Man who took daughters to Libya jailed for fifth time

Angel El Zubaidy (left) and Maya were left with their grandmother in Tripoli in 2015

A man who abducted his daughters and took them to Libya has been jailed for a fifth time for ignoring court orders to return them to the UK.

Mohammed El Zubaidy, 44, took Angel and Maya from their mother Tanya Borg's home in Pewsey, Wiltshire, in 2015.

He was jailed for 12 months at the Family Division of the High Court on Friday for blocking their return.

Judge Sir Jonathan Cohen described El Zubaidy's actions as "about as bad a case as it is possible to imagine".

El Zubaidy left his daughters, who are now 22 and 11, with his mother in Tripoli and Libyan law prevents them leaving the country without his consent.

He has previously been handed four jail terms of between 12 months and two years for refusing to agree to their return.

Ms Borg has had no contact with her daughters for many years and is not even sure where they are living.

'A dangerous country'

Jailing El Zubaidy for 12 months, Sir Jonathan said: "He has wilfully breached court orders - it is a matter of no concern for him whatsoever.

"The children are being kept in a country which the father himself has described as dangerous."

Sir Jonathan added: "It is said the children are with their maternal grandmother but there is no way to confirm that is the case, or whether the children are in good health or not."

He went on: "I regard this as about as bad a case as it is possible to imagine."

Tanya Borg is not even certain of her children's whereabouts

El Zubaidy had been given a 12-month term in 2017, separate jail terms of two years and 12 months in 2018, and another 12-month term in 2021.

Judges heard that El Zubaidy last left prison earlier this year and is believed to have been living in Wood Green in north London.

Speaking after the hearing, Ms Borg said a longer sentence would have been better.

She told the PA news agency: "Two years would have been better. He only does six months."