Craig Wright, who has repeatedly and falsely claimed to be Bitcoinâs pseudonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, was handed a one-year suspended sentence in the United Kingdom for five counts of contempt of court.
The computer scientist was also fined ÂŁ145,000, approximately $180,000 for his actions.
During a December 19 hearing, Judge James Mellor ruled that the Australian national had breached a court order by filing lawsuits against Bitcoin developers.
Despite a prior order to stop all legal actions against the programmers, Wright defied the ruling in October by initiating cases worth more than $1.2 trillion. He also repeated his discredited claim of being Nakamoto.
Jonathan Hough KC, representing the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), a nonprofit group of cryptocurrency companies, highlighted this defiance, stating that Wrightâs actions were intended to inflict âmaximum possible distress.â
Hough also told the court that the 54-year-oldâs behavior had caused significant harm, describing his legal threats as a form of âterrorismâ against developers and bloggers.
He argued that his recent lawsuits were a âdesperate publicity stuntâ to keep his supporters engaged. The former Charles Sturt University researcher had even accused the judiciary of bias, suggesting he was a victim of the British aristocracy due to using the term âLordâ in prior judgments.
However, Judge Mellor dismissed these allegations and found his contempt proven âbeyond reasonable doubt.â
The latest development follows a March ruling in which another UK judge rejected Wrightâs claims of being Nakamoto.
His ongoing claims of intellectual property rights related to Bitcoin were previously dismissed by the legal system, which found that he faked evidence to support his assertions.
The court described his tactics as âforgeries on a grand scaleâ and his explanations as âtechnobabble.â It also noted that the real Satoshi Nakamoto, who is believed to own one million Bitcoin, is likely a billionaire.
In July, the false Bitcoin creator appeared to acknowledge this outcome by posting a tweet that said he was not the creator of the OG digital asset.
According to a report from the Guardian, Wright participated in the hearing via video link from an undisclosed location in Asia, refusing to reveal his whereabouts.
He also declined to attend in person, demanding ÂŁ240,000 ($300,000) to cover his expenses and lost earnings before complying with the order.
The courtroom was also packed during the hearing, with one onlooker wearing a T-shirt reading: âThis is just an elaborate fiction.â
Judge Mellor had previously criticized the Brisbane-born software engineerâs credibility in a high court ruling in May, describing him as âan extremely slippery witnessâ who had repeatedly lied to the public.
Meanwhile, Wright announced his intention to appeal his sentencing following the judgment.
The post Craig Wright Receives One-Year Suspended Sentence for Defying Court Orders appeared first on CryptoPotato.
The computer scientist was also fined ÂŁ145,000, approximately $180,000 for his actions.
Wright Breached Court Order
During a December 19 hearing, Judge James Mellor ruled that the Australian national had breached a court order by filing lawsuits against Bitcoin developers.
Despite a prior order to stop all legal actions against the programmers, Wright defied the ruling in October by initiating cases worth more than $1.2 trillion. He also repeated his discredited claim of being Nakamoto.
Jonathan Hough KC, representing the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA), a nonprofit group of cryptocurrency companies, highlighted this defiance, stating that Wrightâs actions were intended to inflict âmaximum possible distress.â
Hough also told the court that the 54-year-oldâs behavior had caused significant harm, describing his legal threats as a form of âterrorismâ against developers and bloggers.
He argued that his recent lawsuits were a âdesperate publicity stuntâ to keep his supporters engaged. The former Charles Sturt University researcher had even accused the judiciary of bias, suggesting he was a victim of the British aristocracy due to using the term âLordâ in prior judgments.
However, Judge Mellor dismissed these allegations and found his contempt proven âbeyond reasonable doubt.â
The latest development follows a March ruling in which another UK judge rejected Wrightâs claims of being Nakamoto.
His ongoing claims of intellectual property rights related to Bitcoin were previously dismissed by the legal system, which found that he faked evidence to support his assertions.
The court described his tactics as âforgeries on a grand scaleâ and his explanations as âtechnobabble.â It also noted that the real Satoshi Nakamoto, who is believed to own one million Bitcoin, is likely a billionaire.
In July, the false Bitcoin creator appeared to acknowledge this outcome by posting a tweet that said he was not the creator of the OG digital asset.
Details From the Court Appearance
According to a report from the Guardian, Wright participated in the hearing via video link from an undisclosed location in Asia, refusing to reveal his whereabouts.
He also declined to attend in person, demanding ÂŁ240,000 ($300,000) to cover his expenses and lost earnings before complying with the order.
The courtroom was also packed during the hearing, with one onlooker wearing a T-shirt reading: âThis is just an elaborate fiction.â
Judge Mellor had previously criticized the Brisbane-born software engineerâs credibility in a high court ruling in May, describing him as âan extremely slippery witnessâ who had repeatedly lied to the public.
Meanwhile, Wright announced his intention to appeal his sentencing following the judgment.
The post Craig Wright Receives One-Year Suspended Sentence for Defying Court Orders appeared first on CryptoPotato.
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