Six British war veterans speak out about spending another Christmas Day locked up in a hellhole prison for a crime they did not commit
The 'Chennai Six' were jailed after officials mistook their anti-piracy ship for a gun-running vessel
THE Chennai Six have spoken of spending a fourth miserable Christmas wrongly imprisoned in an Indian jail.
The British war heroes spent yesterday on lockdown and were not even allowed to call home.
Instead, the men sent anguished letters to family and supporters.
Ex-Para Billy Irving, 36, has never seen his two-year-old son William open presents on Christmas morning.
He told The Sun: “Being in prison over Christmas is soul destroying. I am unable to communicate other than in letters.
related stories
"I just hope they all had a great day and didn’t let this situation spoil it totally.”
Billy, from Oban, Scotland, and five others were detained in Indian waters while on an anti-piracy vessel in 2013.
Despite having documentation to support their work, they were accused of illegally importing weapons.
They got five years’ jail in January.
A decision on their appeal is due in the New Year.
Ex-Para Nick Dunn, 30, from Ashington, Northumberland, said: “I didn’t celebrate Christmas. I’m in prison.”
And John Armstrong, 29, of Wigton, Cumbria, thanked The Sun for its support.
He said: “Without the publicity we would surely be forgotten.”
The men are forced to sleep on hard concrete floors, must use a hole in the ground as a toilet and are given hardly any food, having to rely on on emergency food parcels sent by family and friends.
The ex-military men clocked up 74 years' service between them including tours of Iraq and Afghanistan where they were blown up by IEDs and shot at by jihadists.
The campaign to free them has the backing of more than 20 MPs and Prince Charles, Prince Harry and Joanna Lumley have sent messages of support.
Billy's fiancee Yvonne, 27, said: "Knowing Billy was alone in prison yesterday with no tinsel, presents or turkey was heartbreaking.
"Seeing our William's face light up when he ran over to the presents under the tree is a sight I will treasure forever.
"But Billy missed that - he has missed his son's first and second Christmas now. He's missed taking him to see Santa and missed his first funfair ride at the Christmas market.
The other three Brits jailed are Nick Dunn, 30, another ex-para, from, Ashington, Northumberland, Ray Tindall, 41, who served with the Yorkshire Regiment and Welsh Regiment, from Chester, and Nicholas Simpson, 45, who served in the Yorkshire Regiment, from Catterick.
The ex-military men's UK-based lawyer Stephen Askins, a maritime law expert and ex-Royal Marine, said: "It's a miscarriage of justice. They should not have been charged.
The Sun launched a campaign in September to get the heroes back home for Christmas in a bid backed by top brass.
