Computer hacker Gary McKinnon, whose extradition to the US was blocked, will not face charges in the UK, bringing to an end a 10-year legal battle.
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British computer hacker Gary McKinnon fought extradition to the US for years - Gary McKinnon's mother: ''It's been life destroying, it's difficult to explain how bad it's been, and to have this over is amazing''
Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer QC said the chances of a successful conviction were "not high".
Janis Sharp, Mr McKinnon's mother, said the news was "amazing" and she was grateful the case was "all over now".
Mr McKinnon, 46, admits accessing US government computers but says he was looking for evidence of UFOs.
The US Department of Justice said it would continue to collaborate with the UK government on a "wide range of shared concerns".
Mr Starmer announced the decision not to prosecute some three months after Home Secretary Theresa May stopped Mr McKinnon's extradition.
Low 'conviction prospects'
The US authorities tried to extradite Mr McKinnon to face charges of causing $800,000 (£487,000) worth of damage to military computer systems and he would have faced up to 60 years in prison if convicted.
Mr McKinnon, who had been fighting extradition since 2002, suffers from Asperger's syndrome.
In October, the Briton was permitted to stay in the UK on human rights grounds after medical reports showed he was very likely to try to kill himself if extradited.
In a statement, Mr Starmer said: "The potential difficulties in bringing a case in England and Wales now should not be underestimated, not least the passage of time, the logistics of transferring sensitive evidence prepared for a court in the US to London for trial, the participation of US government witnesses in the trial and the need fully to comply with the duties of disclosure imposed on the CPS.
"The prospects of a conviction against Mr McKinnon which reflects the full extent of his alleged criminality are not high."
He concluded: "Against this background, the joint CPS/police panel recommended to the Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police that he should not commence a new criminal investigation into Mr McKinnon. The Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police has accepted that advice."
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Following the decision not to bring charges in the UK, Mr McKinnon's mother said: "I'm very pleased and glad Gary's not going to have to go through another long term of trauma.
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