Convert held in raids is half-brother of British supermodel

Published on 12/08/2006 01:54

A MAN arrested over the plot to bomb ten jets is related to a British supermodel who was once married to a tennis champion, it emerged yesterday.

Don Stewart-Whyte, one of three Muslim converts among the 23 people being held, is the half-brother of Heather Stewart-Whyte. The 36-year-old model - a former face of Gucci - was married to French tennis player Yannick Noah until they split in 2001.

Their father Douglas, understood to have been a Tory party activist based in Westminster, died in 2000 aged 74.

Stewart-Whyte, 21, who works at an electrical shop, was seized at the home he shares with his mother, Dorothy, in High Wycombe's Hepplewhite Close on Thursday.

He is a former grammar school pupil and art student who converted to Islam about a year ago and married a Muslim woman, allegedly to the consternation of his mother, a month ago. He also changed his name to Abdul Waheed.

Ms Stewart-Whyte is the product of their father's first marriage. She is estimated to earn about 1 million a year and had two children with Noah. They split acrimoniously on the eve of their fifth wedding anniversary. Noah was granted custody.

Ms Stewart-Whyte is on the books of top modelling agencies Elite and Storm and has appeared on the catwalk with the likes of Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss. She was once the face of Gucci and also represented the lingerie chain Victoria's Secrets.

Ms Stewart-Whyte said yesterday that she had never met her half-brother and refused to make any further comment.

Neighbours and community leaders in High Wycombe yesterday said that Stewart-Whyte's life changed after his conversion to Islam last year.

Shauib Bhatti, a neighbour, said the 21-year-old became noticeably more polite to local Muslims in High Wycombe.

"He was a changed person, always talking about Islam and saying 'Allah hamdolila', or praise God," the 50-year-old takeaway shop owner said.

"I know him as Don. He took the name Abdul Waheed when he converted.

"He went to school [a local primary and then a grammar school] with my children.

"He recently married a Muslim woman and he started to wear Arab dress and grew a beard too. My family and I are Sunni but I do not worship with Don. I do not know what sort of Islam he practises."

Mr Bhatti said Mr Stewart-Whyte lives with his mother, a PE teacher who was currently away on holiday.

He added: "Poor lady. Maybe she will not have known all this has happened at her home."

Speaking at a police press conference, Muslim community leader Shaukat Warraich said Mr Stewart-Whyte found an inner peace with Islam and that he doubted his guilt.

He said: "With regards to [Waheed] he converted to Islam quite recently and just two weeks ago attended an inter-faith dialogue meeting where he spoke freely about his conversion and spoke freely to people of all faiths there, Hindu, Christian, Muslim alike.

"It is very difficult to imagine that individual holding radical views."

He added that Mr Stewart-Whyte had been instrumental in cleaning and painting local mosques and was known by all as a gentle character.

"We don't know whether he has been associated with radical elements but when we look at this individual in particular it is very surprising that he has been arrested."