Student Facing Extradition Over TV Website

Lawyers for a British student accused of breaching US copyright fear the 23-year-old would be more vulnerable in a New York federal detention centre than if he stood trial in the UK.

Ben Cooper told an extradition hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court that Richard O'Dwyer would be "vulnerable surrounded by the sorts of people who'd inhabit the federal detention centre in New York".

The lawyer also accused authorities in the United States of delay tactics to "attain a tactical advantage" against the Sheffield University undergraduate.

Wearing a blue hooded top and jeans, web design student O'Dwyer listened while his legal team argued that his extradition to the US - and a possible 10-year sentence - would be "disproportionate" to the activities he carried out.

Between 2007 and 2010, from his university digs, O'Dwyer had been running his website TV Shack.

The site carried links to other websites where people could download pirate videos and TV series before their general release.

In a previous hearing, O'Dwyer's lawyers argued against extradition on the grounds his website was not hosted on US servers and none of the illegal content was available directly from TV Shack.

"He's at a crucial stage in his degree course," Mr Cooper explained.

"His education, but also his career development, would suffer if he faced pre-trial incarceration."

Acting on behalf of the US government, John Jones told the court: "Access to the website took place in the US, and the victims - the studios - are in the USA.

"There is no reason why he would not get a fair trial in America."

Outside court O'Dwyer's mother Julia told Sky News: "His website didn't hold any illegal content.

"Richard is not trying to evade justice, just avoid America."

The court will rule on the extradition on January 13, 2012.