A young British student accused of smuggling cash in her knickers to fund jihadists fighting in Syria today said she had been "stitched up" by her friend.

Nawal Msaad, 27, was caught with the stash of 20,000 euro (£15,830) in rolled up notes as she prepared to board a flight to Istanbul from Heathrow, jurors have heard.

The Old Bailey was earlier told she agreed to be a "trusted courier'' for her close friend Amal El-Wahabi, also 27.

The money was to be taken to Turkey at the request of El-Wahabi's husband Aine Davis, who was known as Hamza and had joined fighters in war-torn Syria, the court heard.

But she was stopped by police, after the cash which had been hidden inside her in a condom, fell out into her pants.

Taking to the witness box at the Old Bailey in tight light pink trousers, a white sleeveless shirt and pink strappy high heel shoes, Msaad insisted she had never meant to smuggle cash abroad to bankroll terrorism.

And she accused her friend and co-defendant El-Wahabi of "stitching" her up by not telling her where the money had come from.

Her defence barrister Naeem Mian asked her: "It was put to you that in effect you have been stitched up by her, what do you say to that?"

Msaad said: "Well, she wasn't completely honest with me about where the money came from. And so I do get that feeling, I'm not going to deny that.

"The feeling that I have been stitched up."

Msaad, of Holloway, north London, and El-Wahabi, of north west London, both deny funding terrorism.

Msaad, who was born and raised in London and studying human resource management at London Metropolitan University in Aldgate, said she has known her friend since their school days at Holland Park School.

She admitted having a "soft spot" for her friend, but said they are not very close.

And she vehemently denied ever trying to smuggle cash to extremists fighting in Syria, which is in the midst of a bloody civil war.

Speaking so softly that the judge had to repeatedly ask her to keep her voice up, she flatly denied the charge against her.

Mr Mian asked her: "Between 13 and 16 of January 2014 were you concerned in an arrangement to make money available for the purposes of terrorism?"

She replied: "No".

He added: "Did you suspect that the 20,000 euros given to you by El-Wahabi may have been for the purposes of terrorism?"

She again replied: "No".

Her barrister said: "Were you ever told or did you ever suspect that Aine Davis, otherwise known as Hamza, was or may be involved in terrorism."

She replied: "No" and also said she had no idea the cash might have come from drug dealing and crime.

She added: "I had no intention to smuggle money into Turkey."

On January 16 this year Msaad set off for Heathrow airport for the three-day trip but when she approached the departure gate she was stopped by police. She said she was going for a "short break'', was buying gold for her mother and had 20,000 euro "around me''. She was later arrested.

Davis allegedly left London in July last year to pursue the jihadist cause but had maintained regular contact with his wife, with whom he has two young sons. The 30-year-old, who was also born in London with roots in Gambia, converted to Islam six or seven years ago, it is alleged.

Msaad said El Wahabi originally said she had a job for her and that she would be paid 1,000 euros if she did it.

She told jurors she was "curious" and originally thought it might be a hairdressing job.

El Wahabi texted her friend and said "I asked you because I trust you" but later said she "can't explain" the job by phone, the court heard.

But El Wahabi later told her it was to courier around 10,000 (£7,900) or "maybe more" in euros to her husband who she was going to travel abroad to live with, along with their two children.

Msaad said she believed the cash was for a new house as the family were setting up home abroad.

She later had a phone call with Davis on January 13 who asked her to bring 20,000 euros (£15,800) over.

Msaad told the court: "I asked 'how much?' He said 20 bags, a bag is 1,000 in slang'."

Asked if she had any concerns about travelling with such a large amount of cash on her, she said: "It is a lot of money, it's a big responsibility.

"I just didn't want to lose their money. I was a bit worried."

But she insisted she didn't think she was doing anything illegal.

She said: "I asked him 'Are you allowed to bring that amount of money over?'

"The way he sounded was really reassuring. He said 'It's fine, you can bring that amount of money', I had no reason to doubt him."

She admitted she had never asked where the cash came from, but thought it Davis' savings.