Jailed Scot’s partner seeks Sturgeon’s aid

THE partner of a Scot jailed with five other former British soldiers on firearms charges in India has called on Nicola Sturgeon to intervene in the case.

Billy Irving, from Connel, Argyll and Bute, was among a group of security guards on a US-owned ship arrested in October 2013 on illegal weapons charges.

They were working for maritime company AdvanFort providing anti-piracy protection when their ship, the MV Seaman Guard Ohio, was detained and weapons were found.

In the following months the charges were dropped, but the Indian authorities appealed against the decision and the men were detained.

They were jailed for five years and fined 3,000 rupees (£30) last week.

Mr Ir ving’s par tner, Yvonne MacHugh, said she was devastated by the ruling and that all six UK nationals would appeal.

Ms MacHugh, from Glasgow, previously started a petition on Change.org that attracted the support of hundreds of thousands of people, saying the men had been “wrongly arrested and imprisoned by Indian authorities while working to protect ships from pirate attacks”.

Updating her campaign, Ms MacHugh called on Scotland’s First Minister to “do everything in your power to make sure the British government get these boys home”.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “We are aware of this case and appreciate that this is a difficult time for Mr Irving and his family.

“There is now a 90-day window for Mr Irving to appeal. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will continue to provide consular assistance to Mr Irving.”

Mr Irving used to serve in the Parachute Regiment of the British Army.

The other jailed men are Nick Dunn, from Northumberland; Ray Tindall, from Chester; Paul Towers, from Yorkshire; John Armstrong, from Cumbria; and Nicholas Simpson, from Catterick.