Gary Glitter released from Vietnam jail after 33 months
Tuesday, 19 Aug 2008 14:26
Gary Glitter released from prison in Vietnam
Ex-popstar Gary Glitter has been released from prison in Vietnam after serving almost three years for sexual molestation of underage girls.
Glitter, real name Paul Gadd, was sentenced to three years for "obscene acts with children" after being jailed in November 2005.
His sentence was reduced by three months for good behaviour in February this year to just before Tet, the lunar new year and he was released from the Z30D Thu Duc prison in southern Binh Thuan province at around 11:30 local time (05:30 BST).
His lawyer Le Thanh Kinh told news agencies that police authorities have already purchased his airline ticket back to Britain.
However, it is believed the lack of a direct flight could allow the 62-year-old to use his passport to change destinations while connecting between flights.
"He has served his sentence and the authorities in Vietnam will deport him," his lawyer added. "He does not have any sentence to serve in London. If he wants to stop wherever he wants to he can do that.
"If he wants to he can change flights."
He went on: "The only problem is the countries he wants to go to, because he has to get a visa."
Should Glitter return to the UK he would be met at the airport and forced to sign the sex offenders register.
In 1999 he was sentenced to four months in jail in the UK after pleading guilty to charges of downloading pornography depicting children being abused.
He shot to fame in the 1970s for his glam-rock performances of songs including I Love You Love Me Love and Do You Wanna Touch Me.