Teen hacker jailed for posting Tony Blair facts

By Angus Howarth
Published on 28/07/2012 02:36

A TEENAGE computer hacker who stole Tony Blair’s personal details and posted them online has been jailed for six months.

Junaid Hussain was aged 15 when he broke into the personal Gmail account of Katy Kay, who at the time was a special adviser to the former Prime Minister.

Student Hussain, now 18, then posted Mr Blair’s personal details online, as well as details of his wife Cherie, sister-in-law Lauren Booth and other relatives, friends, MPs andpeers.

Using the online ID “Trick” Hussain, of Birmingham, was a leader of “hacktivist” group Team Poison, who also bombarded the national anti-terrorism hotline with hoax calls.

Richard Milne, prosecuting, told Southwark Crown Court that Hussain and his online friends “call bombed” the counter-terrorism hotline mistakenly believing it was M16.

Ben Cooper, representing Hussain, who was granted bail so he could take his A levels, said his client was “shy and timid” and described his offences as an “ill-advised prank”.

He said: “Clearly he was extremely naive and immature and is thoroughly ashamed.”

Hussain admitted conspiracy to commit a public nuisance in hacking into Miss Kay’s e-mail.

Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith said: “I have to deter others from hacking into people’s private email accounts and publishing online their personal details.”