Irishman who hacked Sun spared prison

A YOUNG Irishman who hacked into The Sun newspaper’s website and redirected users to a fake story that reported media mogul Rupert Murdoch had taken his own life has been spared jail.

Darren Martyn was 19 years old when he, along with others, hacked into the News International website six years ago.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard he is now using the significant skills to prevent cyber-crime as a security researcher for a UK consultancy firm and as a lecturer.

Martyn, described in court as ‘highly intelligent’, told gardaí he took part in the hacking in retaliation for the UK media company’s involvement in the phone-hacking scandal. He was a member of Lulzsec, a part of the Anonymous hacking group, at the time, the court heard.

Martyn, 25, of Cloonbeggin, Claregalway, Co. Galway, pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal damage to data that was the property of News International in July 2011.

In March, a co-accused, aged 24, received a nine-month suspended sentence for his part in the hacking.

The fake story claimed Sun owner Mr Murdoch, 86, had ingested a large quantity of palladium, a rare mineral, before ‘stumbling into his famous topiary garden’.

As a result of the hacking, the websites of The Sun and its sister news sites The Times and The Sunday Times were shut down for a few hours. It took a further three weeks to fully restore the website, the court heard.

Gardaí were tipped off to Martyn and his accomplice’s involvement from an anonymous source.

Judge Karen O’Connor said it was a serious offence which had involved considerable premeditation. However, she said Martyn now appeared to be in a different place professionally and in terms of maturity than he was at the time of the offence. She imposed a nine-month suspended sentence.