Judge to rule on Chennai Six prison appeal

Ex-serviceman, from Ashington and Catterick, have been in jail for the past year and detained since 2013

Published 27th Nov 2017
Last updated 27th Nov 2017

The year long wait for former soldiers from our region - imprisoned in India - will come to an end later.

A judge is expected to rule on the appeal against Nick Dunn and Nick Simpson's five year prison sentence.

If the judge finds in his favour, it's thought they could be home within the next week.

Along with four ex-servicemen, the two Nick's were working for a US firm protecting ships in pirate-infested seas when Indian authorities seized their vessel.

Despite original charges being quashed, the Supreme Court announced a new trial in 2015 and last year the judge delivered a guilty verdict.

They've been imprisoned in India for over a year.

Nick Dunn's sister, Lisa, said:

"To wake up very single day in the last 12 months, waiting and hoping that you're going to get a date or a verdict - it's just been excruciatingly difficult.

"To have to wait 12 months for this decision - I think it's absolutely disgraceful. It just shows how much an utter face this whole situation has been from day one.

"If the judgement goes in the men's favour, I think the government need to take this opportunity and right the wrongs they made in 2014 in not getting the men out while they weren't facing any charges."