This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-20959319

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Christopher Tappin jailed for 33 months in US arms case Christopher Tappin jailed for 33 months in US arms case
(35 minutes later)
A retired British businessman who admitted arms dealing has been jailed for 33 months by a court in the US. A retired British businessman who admitted arms dealing has been sentenced to 33 months in prison by a court in the US.
Christopher Tappin, 66, was extradited to the US last February and entered his plea at a hearing in El Paso, Texas, in an agreement with prosecutors. Christopher Tappin, who was extradited from the UK last February, reached a deal with US prosecutors which led to him pleading guilty in November.
He was also ordered to pay a fine of $11,357.14. Tappin, 66, of south-east London, could have faced being jailed for 35 years.
Tappin, from Orpington, south-east London, had previously denied trying to sell missile batteries to Iran. At Tuesday's hearing in El Paso, Texas, Judge David Briones recommended he be allowed to serve his time in the UK.
The final decision on whether Tappin can return to the UK to serve his sentence rests with the US Bureau of Prisons, a court spokeswoman said.
Tappin, from Orpington, must turn himself in to start his sentence at the Allenwood prison in Pennsylvania by 8 March.
'FBI sting'
The retired businessman, who admitted one count of aiding and abetting the illegal export of defence articles, was also ordered to pay a fine of $11,357.14 (about £7,100).
Following the sentencing Tappin's wife, Elaine, said she hoped he would have "the mental fortitude to cope with whatever lies before him in the months and years to come".
Tappin, the former director of Surrey-based Brooklands International Freight Services had previously denied attempting to sell batteries for surface-to-air missiles that were to be shipped from the US to Tehran via the Netherlands, saying he was the victim of an FBI sting.
The case followed an investigation which began in 2005 when US agents asked technology providers about buyers who might have caused suspicion.
Those customers were then approached by undercover companies set up by government agencies.
Robert Gibson, a British associate of Tappin who agreed to co-operate, was jailed for 24 months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to export defence articles.
Gibson provided customs agents with about 16,000 computer files and emails indicating that he and Tappin had long-standing commercial ties with Iranian customers.
American Robert Caldwell was found guilty of aiding and abetting the illegal transport of defence articles and served 20 months in prison.