A former soldier from Oban has been jailed for five years in India after being found guilty of illegal weapons charges.
Billy Irving of Connel, who has been trapped on the subcontinent for more than two years, appeared in court alongside five other former British soldiers to hear the verdict today.
They were working as anti-piracy security guards on a US-owned ship when they were all detained in October 2013.
Mr Irving posted on social media minutes after hearing the verdict this morning. He said: “All weapon licenses were given into court (originals), all ship certificates were given to court, all passports and seaman books, everything was given and the judge has told us we are guilty and we are going straight to prison for five years.
“Thank you all for your support. I won’t have any comms soon as we are about to be taken away. I still don’t know what is going on, I have been told we didn’t prove we were an anti piracy company.
“Yvonne will be giving all my stuff about this to papers n TV etc and the full story will come out when I get a chance.”
He became a father last year after his partner Yvonne MacHugh visited him in India when the charges were quashed.
But the Indian prosecutor appealed the decision and he was unable to leave the country while awaiting trail.