Gary McKinnon, 42, could spend life in prison if convicted by a US court of gaining access to 97 computers in 2001 and 2002 in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks.<\/p>\n
McKinnon says he was only looking for evidence of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) when he hacked into the US Navy and Nasa space agency computers.<\/p>\n
And his lawyers said Tuesday that McKinnon, who suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism, could commit suicide or suffer psychosis if extradited and could easily be prosecuted in Britain.<\/p>\n
McKinnon was “an eccentric person who has passionate views about UFOs,” his lawyer Edward Fitzgerald told the High Court in London, adding that extradition was “unnecessary, avoidable and disproportionate.”<\/p>\n
McKinnon’s lawyers had hoped he could be prosecuted in Britain and face a less severe sentence, but the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) ruled in February that the case was best brought in the United States.<\/p>\n
They are seeking a judicial review of a decision by then home secretary Jacqui Smith last October to order his extradition.<\/p>\n
Fitzgerald said the then minister had not realised the severity of McKinnon’s mental problems. “She underestimated the gravity of the situation without obtaining evidence of her own,” he said.<\/p>\n
British prosecutors have declined to begin proceedings against McKinnon, pending the US extradition request. The hearing continues on Wednesday.<\/p>\n