A mother-of-three was found guilty of a terrorism offence after she retweeted a speech by an Islamic State leader to her 30 followers.

Mary Kaya,from Batley, West Yorkshire, had around 30 followers on her Twitter account when she retweeted the link to an audio clip by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

The 57-year-old had denied posting the link and claimed her Twitter account was used by someone else.

But a jury at Leeds Crown Court found her guilty of distributing a terrorist publication likely to encourage people to participate in terrorism.

The court had heard that Kaya's Twitter account was monitored after her husband was arrested during a raid by counter-terrorism police at a previous address in Dewsbury.

The account, named Justice and with the handle @GardenofGold, showed that the link to al-Baghdadi's speech, Even If The Disbelievers Despise Such, was retweeted on November 13, 2014.

Handing her a suspended jail sentence yesterday, Recorder of Leeds, Judge Peter Collier QC, labelled the speech "a dreadful diatribe" but said that apart from the content of her Twitter account there was no evidence that Kaya held radical views or had tried to radicalise others.

View photos Mary Kaya retweeted the link to an audio clip by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Credit: AFP/Getty Images More

She had attended the Prevent counter-terrorism programme since April last year which she is said to have "thoroughly enjoyed" and there was a reasonable prospect of rehabilitation - if it had not already been achieved, said Judge Collier.

The judge concluded the level of culpability and harm was "low" and that she could not be classed as a dangerous offender.

He said: "There is no evidence put before me, apart from the content of your Twitter account, that indicates on your part any espousal or propagating of radical Islamist views.

"As for your family, friends and close community, the clear evidence is that there was no attempt to radicalise them. Not one of them suspected you of holding radical views.

"It does not seem to me that you present any danger to the public at all."

He added that "it is apparent that over recent months you have co-operated with and have thoroughly enjoyed involvement with the Prevent programme".

The judge said that each case stood on its own facts and that people who acted like Kaya would still be at risk of going to jail.

Kaya received a 21-month custodial sentence, suspended for two years.

She will also be subject to a two-year supervision order and must observe a 7pm to 7am curfew for four months.