New evidence could free Billy

A CONNEL man who is serving time in an Indian prison could be freed after new evidence surfaced.

Pirate hunter Billy Irving and his crewmates were jailed after their vessel drifted in to Indian waters carrying ‘illegal’ weapons.

The Foreign Office has now released the weapons licences that were on board the ship and Billy’s family hope this new evidence will be enough to have him released.

The documents were uploaded to a social media page run by Billy’s family entitled ‘Bring Billy Back’ alongside a statement.

It said: ‘ They [the licences] have been handed into the Indian courts.

‘If they are again dismissed it could not be clearer now that the men are being held there illegally. We are clinging on to every single bit of hope that the Indian police can admit they made a mistake, free our boys and allow us all to move on from this nightmare.’