Court dete set for hacker McKinnon

ANOTHER court date has been set for Crouch End computer hacker, Gary McKinnon, in his fight against his extradition. Mr McKinnon, 43 and a former Highgate Wood pupil, has been awaiting extradition after being accused of causing $700,000 worth of damage w

ANOTHER court date has been set for Crouch End computer hacker, Gary McKinnon, in his fight against his extradition.

Mr McKinnon, 43 and a former Highgate Wood pupil, has been awaiting extradition after being accused of causing $700,000 worth of damage when he allegedly hacked into US security systems from his Hillfield Avenue home in 2002.

Earlier this month, Mr McKinnon appealed the decision to extradite made by former Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith in August 2008.

He has now been granted permission to appeal a separate decision made by the Director of Public Prosecutions in February this year which stated that he could not be prosecuted in the UK, a process hoped to prevent his extradition.

Judges will wait until this latest judicial review, on July 14, before making a final and lasting decision on his future.

His lawyers argue that the late diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome in August last year was not considered in the original trials and his extradition would be a breach of human rights.

But lawyers at the Home Office have stated that extradition would not be a breach of Mr McKinnon's human rights or be detrimental to his health.