Gary McKinnon Emboldened In Fight Against US Extradition

The high-profile case of the self-confessed hacker Gary McKinnon has taken a new interesting turn, with the hacker launching a legal battle against the director of public prosecutions (DPP), asserting that he should be trialled in the UK for his felonious act of breaching the security of US military systems.

In his fresh legal challenge to avoid extradition to the US, McKinnon's lawyers will notify the High Court that he is at the risk of psychosis and could commit suicide if extradited to US for the trial.

Gary McKinnon, 42, is suffering from Asperger's Syndrome and asserted that he was looking for info on UFOs when he broke into the US military computer systems, for which he could face prison term for up to 70 years if found guilty in the US courts.

Meanwhile, McKinnon's lawyer Karen Todner has asserted that the appointment of new Home Secretary Alan Johnson would hardly affect the case of McKinnon's extradition to US.

Quoting the same, Todner said: “I don't think it will make much difference, unless the new home secretary has a personal interest in the case”. Alan Johnson replaced Jacqui Smith, who resigned back on 3 June amid criticisms over the expenses claims she made.

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