Gary McKinnon, the Briton accused of hacking into US military computers, has managed to win a delay to his judicial review, with the final showdown now to take place in the High Court on 20 January.

McKinnon has been fighting extradition to the US over the past four years. The prosecutors call this case "the biggest military computer hack of all time".

Using the online name "Solo", McKinnon allegedly hacked into US military computers belonging to the Pentagon, Nasa and the US army. He was entrapped in raids that took place between 2001 and 2002, The Guardian reports.

Prosecutors alleged that McKinnon’s hacking caused huge damage to machines, amounting to $700,000.

At the request of defence lawyers, McKinnon is facing trial in the UK courts, as the alleged hacking was carried out from his north London residence. But the court is taking a long time to come out with a decision - it’s almost seven years since the alleged hacking activities were traced.

Prosecutors have at times appealed for the most severe punishments, like 60 years imprisonment or incarceration at the notorious Guantánamo Bay. But McKinnon may end up getting a much more lenient sentence, as he suffers from Asperger's syndrome. There is no general delay in language or cognitive development in this disorder. It is characterised by difficulties in social interaction and restricted, stereotyped patterns of behaviour and interests

UK prime minister Gordon Brown has made a public statement saying that McKinnon may not end up in a US prison, and expressed his faith in conventions that would allow him to serve his sentence in Britain.

Supporters expect that Obama will be more favourable to McKinnon’s case than the draconian Bush administration. X