A FORMER Margate man who was sentenced to death for murder in The Democratic Republic of the Congo faces a retrial this week.

Joshua French, 27, and his Norwegian friend Tjostolv Moland, 28, were found guilty of murder and espionage and they lost an appeal at a military tribunal last December.

His family feared Joshua would be executed but now hope the case could be heard in a civil court.

Joshua's sister Hannah, 25, who lived in Cliftonville, said her brother and a friend had signed a document saying the trial would start in Kisangani yesterday.

She added: "I don't know what I feel about the new trial. Anything can happen."

In April 2009, Joshua, a former British and Norwegian soldier, and Tjostolv travelled into The Congo from Uganda on a motorbike trip. Their motorbike broke down and they hired a car and a driver to take them back to Uganda.

Two Congolese passengers travelled with them. A few hours into their journey Joshua and Tjostolv claim they were ambushed and their driver was killed.

The two fled and a few days later they were arrested.

Joshua was given four death sentences and 20 years in prison. Tjostolv received five death sentences and a 20 year stretch.

Both men and the Norwegian Government have been asked to pay $500million damages to the Congolese Government.