A RETIRED merchant seaman will fly back from his native Greece to possibly receive a prison sentence after being convicted at Southampton Crown Court of two currency charges.

Milton Freeman, pictured, who is married to an English woman and has two children, was found guilty of having in his custody or under his control two moulding discs and 13 sovereigns and two kruggerands which he knew or believed were counterfeit.

The 61-year-old was acquitted of two charges of attempting to deliver protected coins through the post. During the case, the prosecution dropped a charge of making a dud coin.

Freeman was arrested at his home in Pine Road, Romsey, after the Post Office contacted the police about a suspicious package that had been returned from Greece. The moulding discs were recovered from the boot of his car and the coins were found in his house.

Judge Susan Evans QC allowed Freeman bail, which enabled him to fly to Greece to see his mother, but warned him that all options, including custody, remained open.