Craig Wright Gets Suspended 1 Year Sentence in UK for Continuing to Sue Bitcoin Developers
Craig Wright was sentenced to one year in prison by a UK judge for contempt of court. The sentence is suspended for two years, meaning he will only serve time if he reoffends during that period.
- At a UK High Court hearing today, Justice James Edward Mellor ruled that Craig Wright violated a previous court order by filing a $1.15 trillion lawsuit against Bitcoin developers and Square in October. The order had prohibited Wright from publicly claiming to be Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin's creator, and from taking legal actions based on that claim.
- Justice Mellor also ordered Wright to drop his latest lawsuit against Square and Bitcoin developers, stating that each contempt charge was unquestionably proven.
"There is no doubt whatever that each of these contempts has been proved," said the judge.
- The Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA) has also won a reimbursement for legal expenses amounting to £145,000, or roughly $181,500.
- Craig Wright missed a UK court hearing on Wednesday to address contempt charges, citing £240,000 ($303,000) in lost business. Wright attended his sentencing hearing remotely today, and is suspected to be in Singapore or Indonesia. When asked about his whereabouts, he only stated he is in Asia and refused to disclose his exact location.
- Enforcing Wright's prison sentence during probation would be challenging since he remains outside the UK. There’s no extradition treaty with Indonesia, and Singapore’s agreement doesn’t cover civil contempt.
- Wright said he would appeal the finding that he was in contempt of court, even though he was refused permission last month to challenge Mellor's previous ruling that he did not invent Bitcoin.
Full Ruling
Wired Article / Archive
Reuters Article / Archive
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