Jailed businessman Christopher Tappin to complete sentence in the UK

The former freight company boss found guilty of selling missile batteries to Iran returns from the US to serve the remaining 14 months of his sentence.

Christopher Tappin, with his wife Elaine (PA)

A retired British businessman who was jailed in the US for selling weapons components to Iran has returned to the UK to serve out the remainder of his sentence.

Christopher Tappin has served over half his 33-month sentence in Pennsylvania and he will now serve the remaining 14 months at a prison in the UK.

The 66-year-old was extradited to the US last year and eventually pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting the illegal export of defence articles under an arrangement known as a plea bargain with US prosecutors.

In addition to his custodial sentence, Mr Tappin was fined £7,095 in January.

A US District judge then recommended that the Briton be allowed to complete his sentence in the UK.

His lawyer, Karen Todner, appeared to confirm his return on Twitter.

She told the BBC, "For six weeks while his repatriation was being approved, he was moved to the Metropolitan Correctional Centre in New York, a prison which is teeming with rats and run by gangs.

"Mr Tappin is an upstanding, proud man and he told me he just tried to stay in the background there.