Sunday Express: David Gilmour pays for Gary McKinnon's psychiatric treatment

The Garry McKinnon extradition case is turning from injustice into tragedy.

The Sunday Express reports:

David Gilmour pays for Gary McKinnon's psychiatric treatment

Sunday February 13,2011
By James Murray

PINK FLOYD star David Gilmour is paying for psychiatric treatment for troubled Gary McKinnon after he was suddenly refused NHS funding while he fights extradition to the US on charges of hacking into military computers.

The renowned guitarist, who supports mental health campaigns, decided to step in after the Asperger's Syndrome sufferer became a victim of budget cutbacks at a London NHS Trust.

Glasgow-born McKinnon, 45, faces up to 60 years in a US jail for breaking into Nasa and Pentagon computers in 2001 and 2002 while looking for evidence of UFOs. Until last month he had been receiving treatment from Asperger's expert Professor Jeremy Turk, who believes he will become a suicide risk if forced to go to America to face trial.

The intervention comes at a crucial time for Mr McKinnon. His mother, Janis Sharp, is preparing to disclose new evidence of mental illness in the family that could be used to stop the case against her son. Speaking to the Sunday Express, Ms Sharp praised the Pink Floyd star for his help, and insisted their fight against extradition would continue.

She said: "When I heard about the funding for Gary's psychiatrist being refused I was shell-shocked.

"The world economy is worse than people realise and people in this country are going to be hit by the cuts that haven't even fully kicked in yet. What will happen to other people with psychiatric problems if their funding is cut off?

"I'm so grateful to David Gilmour for helping Gary at such a crucial time."

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