English Defence League (EDL) leader Stephen Lennon, 30, pleaded guilty to possession of a false identity document with improper intention, contrary to the Identity Documents Act 2010, at Southwark Crown Court.
Lennon used a passport in the name of Andrew McMaster to board a Virgin Atlantic Flight from Heathrow to New York, but was caught out after his fingerprints were taken by customs officials.
He left the airport and entered the US illegally but left the country the following day, using his own passport to return to the UK.
The United States has expressed its disappointment in the decision taken by the CPS not to prosecute Gary McKinnon. The US Embassy in London released a statement saying:
The United States was disappointed by the UK Home Secretary’s decision not to extradite Gary McKinnon, particularly in light of the UK courts’ and prior Home Secretaries’ decisions that he should face trial in the United States.
We note that the Home Secretary acknowledged the seriousness of the crimes of which Mr. McKinnon is accused, and described this case as exceptional, indicating that her decision does not set a precedent for future cases.
The Director of Public Prosecutions and the Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service released a joint statement explaining their decision not to take further action against Gary McKinnon.
They identified a number of reasons why pursuing a prosecution would not be in the public interest:
Gary McKinnon is was originally supposed to be tried in the US; in October 2012, when the Home Secretary decided not to extradite him, there was no live criminal investigation against him in the UK, nor had there been for many years
As far as building a case against McKinnon in the UK was concerned, "the harm occurred in the US", the investigation was launched in the US, most of the witnesses are in the US and nearly all the physical evidence is in the US
US authorities, though willing to co-operate with a prosecution, would not agree transfer witnesses or evidence to the UK
The "prospect of a conviction in the UK which reflects the full extent of his alleged criminality are not high"
'CPS have declared decision not to prosecute McKinnon'
The Crown Prosecution Service have declared their decision not to prosecute Gary McKinnon in the UK.
They state that the appropriate jurisdiction would be the United States, which is an interesting decision bearing in mind Mr McKinnon was originally arrested and interviewed by British police in 2002.
Mr McKinnon has always indicated that he would be willing to plead guilty to an offence under the Misuse of Computers Act but clearly cannot do so if he is not going to be prosecuted.
Mr McKinnon's legal team remains aware that his extradition warrant is still outstanding and will seek to explore other ways in which Mr McKinnon can receive complete closure on this long saga.
An American woman is due in court charged with killing a Londoner, who died after having cosmetic surgery.
Claudia Aderotimi had implants in her buttocks at a Philadelphia hotel in February 2011. She then suffered chest pains and breathing problems, and died a few hours later. Padge Windslow, who calls herself "the black madam" is charged with her murder.
Ahmad's family urge Home Secretary to halt extradition
Ashfaq Ahmad, father of Babar Ahmad. Credit: PA
Babar Ahmad's family has urged Home Secretary Theresa May to halt his extradition until a decision is made on a potential private prosecution in the UK. In a statement released following the move, the family said:
"We are simply asking for the court to put a hold on Babar's extradition so that the DPP has the necessary time and space to make a decision on the material provided to him in April 2012 which was kept hidden from him by the police for eight years.
"The DPP has confirmed that he is considering this material in addition to the request by Mr Karl Watkin for permission to privately prosecute Babar in the UK.
"We trust that the court will find that this is a reasonable request which is both in the public interest and the interests of justice."
Terror suspect Babar Ahmad has launched a High Court bid to halt his removal from the UK to the United States, it was confirmed earlier.
The computer expert's judicial review application is now expected to be heard on Tuesday along with that of radical cleric Abu Hamza and another suspect, Khaled Al-Fawwaz.
The men are seeking injunctions preventing extradition to the US. Ahmad's move was confirmed by a spokeswoman for the Judicial Office.
