THE GIRLFRIEND of Scots pirate hunter Billy Irving has spoken of her fear about giving birth alone.

Yvonne MacHugh, 25, from Glasgow, has been fighting for Irving to be allowed to return home following his release from Chennai's Puzhal prison in April.

The only method of communication she has with Irving is via online calling service Skype, which she said is a lifeline for the couple.

"I get up early and Skype with Billy before work, and then again for a few hours when I get home at night," MacHugh explained.

"I don't sleep well at all through the night."

Sleeping, or a lack of, is also something Irving struggles with as thoughts of home and normality flood his mind as well - along with the uncertainty of the court case in Chennai.

MacHugh, originally met Irving in Barra, shortly after New Year in 2012 and they hit it off after a chance reunion at a concert in Glasgow a few weeks later.

"He's my best friend, and I just miss him every day, all the time," said MacHugh, tearfully.

"There are so many hard decisions that I wanted to talk to him about - what lawyers to go to, for example, or where to ask for help ... The situation has changed our relationship in a way.

"Before this he was very much taking care of me, he always wanted to make sure I had it easy and now it's a role reversal where I'm looking after him."

The pair are expecting their first child on February 14 next year.

The thought of giving birth alone is petrifying to MacHugh, who desperately wants Irving to return home to Connell, near Oban in time for their baby's arrival.

She said: "I can't even think about it. We spoke about it last night and he said I had to prepare for the worst, that he may not be home, but I can't, I shouldn't have to, think about that.

"When you're a wee girl and you dream about having a family and getting married ... this certainly wasn't my dream."

MacHugh is also concerned for her boyfriend's mental health, and said there is only so much more he will be able take.

"I worry about him all the time. He has got no life," she said.

"He is just sat in a hotel room 24/7, not knowing what is going to happen to him, what his future holds. He's basically now in a prison which he has to pay for, it's even worse.

"Billy is such a proud man but having to admit he has no money and no way of providing for us - it's devastating for him.

"It worries me that it will hit him hard. He has coped fantastically and I'm so proud of the way he has coped so far but there will come a point where he will just snap and I don't want that to happen, it shouldn't happen."

She, like Irving, has spoken out about the lack of support from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and described them as a "glorified Google search engine" when Irving needed medical attention for a dog bite.

"Billy was really ill when he was in prison and then when he came out he got bitten by a dog. We asked them for help but, despite them saying they only deal with welfare issues, they said they cannot provide hospital expenses or help him get [to hospital]. They were basically a glorified Google search engine - they told us which hospital we can go to but they gave us no other help."

MacHugh stressed that a change of career would have to be in order when Irving gets home, and bravely joked: "I'll put him in prison myself if he goes back to a job like that again."

She, along with the rest of Irving's family and friends, await news from Chennai and cling to the hope that he will be returning home in the near future.