British hacker faces extradition to US

Gary McKinnon was told the extradition recommendation would be passed to the home secretary, John Reid, for a final decision.

Mr McKinnon says he had little interest in political affairs and began hacking to look for evidence of a government cover-up about UFOs.

But the 40-year-old's defence lawyers claim that, if extradited, he could be sent to Guantánamo Bay as a foreign terrorist and tried in a secret military tribunal.

He told reporters outside the hearing at London's Bow Street magistrates court that he had meant no harm by his hacking activities.

"My intention was never to disrupt security, the fact that I logged on and there were no passwords means that there was no security," he said. "I was looking for UFOs."

US prosecutors claim Mr McKinnon caused £370,000 of damage after breaking into more than 90 US military computer systems. He faces up to 70 years in prison and a £650,000 fine if convicted in the US.

Prosecutors allege he deleted crucial information from a US naval weapons station in the wake of the September 11 attacks. Judge Nicholas Evans, presiding, said that the incident had caused the system to be closed down for a week.

Last year Mr McKinnon told the Guardian he had carried out most of his hacks in a north London house belonging to his girlfriend's aunt.

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