Four weeks for ‘suicide risk’ hacker to receive judgement

British hacker Gary McKinnon will be at real risk of suicide or psychosis if he was extradited to America, the High Court was told yesterday.

According to reports, McKinnon's legal team argued at a court hearing his request for a judicial review that his Asperger's Syndrome would not make extradition appropriate, and that he shouldn't be considered a criminal.

It was claimed Home Secretary Jacqui Smith had not taken his condition into consideration at the time of her decision for the hacker's extradition. The review is still ongoing, but his extradition has now been put on hold.

McKinnon's fate could lie with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Keir Starmer QC, who will give his answer to a request that the DPP charge him under UK law in four weeks time.

McKinnon told the BBC: "We didn't get our adjournment which we were hoping for, but the DPP has barred the extradition in the meantime while he makes his decision."

He added: "Overall it's been a good day. For a change it has been slightly good news, which is nice and refreshing."

At a previous press conference, McKinnon's lawyer feared that McKinnon would be extradited within days.

McKinnon has always admitted to hacking US government systems, but said that he was doing it without malicious intent in his hunt for UFOs.