Accused hacker has Asperger's Syndrome

LONDON, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- An accused Scottish computer hacker whose extradition to the United States has been delayed is a suicide risk suffering from a form of autism, attorneys say.

An effort by the British government to extradite Gary McKinnon, 42, to the United States to face a possible life sentence for allegedly hacking into sensitive U.S. government computers was postponed until Feb. 15 during a Tuesday hearing in London's High Court, The Scotsman reported.

McKinnon's attorneys argued during the hearing that his health would be endangered and he would run the real risk of suicide if he were detained pre-trial in tough conditions in a U.S. high security prison. McKinnon's supporters say he suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, a mild form of autism, and imprisonment could give rise to psychosis or suicide, The Times of London reported.

McKinnon's lawyer, Edward Fitzgerald, accused British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, of failing to properly consider the risk before deciding in October to permit extradition, The Times said.

McKinnon allegedly admitted breaking into the computers in 2001 and 2002, saying he was hunting for information on unidentified flying objects, the BBC reported.