No more charges for Pentagon hacker

A senior British prosecutor has said Gary McKinnon, a hacker wanted in the United States for breaking into military computer systems, will face no further criminal charges in Britain.

"The prospects of a conviction against Mr McKinnon which reflects the full extent of his alleged criminality are not high," Keir Starmer, director of public prosecutions, said.

Starmer said there would have been considerable difficulties in bringing a case against the 46-year-old McKinnon in Britain.

"Most of the witnesses are in the US, as is nearly all the physical evidence and the bulk of the unused material, some of which is sensitive," he said.

British and US authorities had discussed bringing US witnesses and evidence to Britain for a trial, but it was not deemed feasible.

McKinnon, who has Asperger's syndrome, had waged a 10-year legal battle against extradition to the US which finally ended in October when Britain said it would not extradite him because of a high risk he would attempt suicide.