Gary McKinnon extradition put on hold by Home Office (From Haringey Independent)

Gary McKinnon extradition put on hold by Home Office

4:47pm Saturday 17th October 2009

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COMPUTER hacker Gary McKinnon's extradition has been put on hold while new evidence is considered.

The 43-year-old from Palmers Green, who suffers from Asperger's syndrome, is facing extradition to the United States of America on charges of breaking into the Pentagon's computer systems.

He was refused permission on October 9 to appeal to the newly created Supreme Court, but a dossier of new evidence has been handed to the Home Office by Mr McKinnon's solicitors.

Officials have put the 14-day deadline for extradition on hold while they consider the new information, reportedly about his psychiatric health.

Mr McKinnon admits hacking into the secure US systems when he lived in Crouch End, but says he was only taking advantage of lax security to look for evidence of UFOs.

However, US officials insist he compromised Pentagon computers and want him to stand trial for hacking into its systems.

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