FBI most wanted Daniel Andreas San Diego awaits extradition

A suspected terrorist who evaded the FBI for greater than 20 years earlier than being present in Wales has appeared in court docket for an extradition listening to.Daniel Andreas San Diego, 47, was one of many company’s “most needed fugitives” after bombings in San Francisco, California, in 2003.He was arrested final November in a distant location close to Maenan, Conwy, after 21 years on the run.The extradition listening to at Westminster Magistrates Courtroom will determine if he will probably be despatched again to america to face trial the place he may face many years in jail.The court docket heard how Mr San Diego’s automobile was searched following bombings at two firms in August and September 2003.The businesses had hyperlinks to the pharmaceutical firm Huntingdon Life Sciences, which was focused by animal rights campaigners for greater than a decade.Two bombs exploded about one hour aside at an organization web site in Emeryville, California, on August 28 2003.A month later, on September 26, 2003, a bomb strapped with nails exploded at a web site in Pleasanton, California. There have been no accidents sustained in both bombing.Westminster Magistrates Courtroom heard that Mr San Diego was stopped by a visitors warden an hour earlier than the blast in Pleasanton.On 8 October, a search of his home was carried out, the place magazines and pamphlets suggesting an curiosity in animal rights have been discovered.A day later, a search of Mr San Diego’s automobile in discovered a number of components for making explosives.These included together with pipes, acetone and copper wire per that discovered on the units used within the two bombings.His fingerprints have been discovered on some objects within the automobile, together with the acetone.After his disappearance from California, the FBI named Mr San Diego on their most needed checklist alongside others together with Osama Bin Laden.Prosecutor Joel Smith KC, a lawyer representing the US authorities, informed the court docket that if extradited to america, Mr San Diego faces fees of inflicting injury and destruction by explosives, carrying an unregistered firearm and utilizing or carrying explosives.David Patton – an professional on American prison regulation – when requested if the costs towards Mr San Diego have been “legally coherent” mentioned that features of the indictment violate the US structure and that in his opinion there was a danger of double jeopardy.Double jeopardy in US regulation protects towards being prosecuted twice for a similar crime.Defending, Mark Summers KC urged an instance could be fees accusing Mr San Diego of “the possession of a bomb for the needs of bombing” and that it could be “plainly inaccurate that they might be tried collectively”.Beneath the next indictment, new counts have been added together with fees of “utilizing or carrying an explosive gadget to commit a felony”, the extradition listening to heard.Mr Summer season mentioned: “If the prosecution can persuade the choose to impose a terrorism enhancement as effectively, then the rules say he is bought to offer a 90-year sentence.”He requested Mr Patton what his view of the “coherence” of the brand new indictment.Mr Patton mentioned: “It fairly plainly violates the Structure, it violates the double jeopardy guidelines of the Structure.”Mr Patton additionally mentioned that within the USA prosecutors can stack totally different fees towards a defendant primarily based on the identical conduct, and every particular person cost can carry its personal necessary minimal sentence.In such circumstances, Mr Patton mentioned defendants can face a possible sentence of life imprisonment, and might subsequently be coerced right into a responsible plea with none trial being held.He mentioned this method has led to a decline within the variety of trials within the USA – in late Nineteen Seventies and early 80s round 15 – 20% of all offences went to trial. It’s now round 2% as a result of going to trial is “far too nice a danger for a lot of defendants,” in keeping with Mr Patton.The listening to continues.