A Manchester entrepreneur has been cleared of computer hacking after a private prosecution brought by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
Craig Cornick, who runs several companies in the legal and financial services sectors, was found not guilty by a unanimous jury at Bolton Crown Court of conspiring to access computer systems without authority.
The allegations related to historic incidents said to have taken place between 2014 and 2017 at a previous business, and centred on claims that customers’ contact data had been accessed without their consent. The case faced repeated delays before concluding this week.
In a statement, Mr Cornick said: “I am relieved to have been cleared of some serious and damaging accusations. The claims of computer hacking were shown to be completely unfounded, with no evidence of criminal intent or harm.”
While expressing respect for the role of the ICO in protecting personal data, he strongly rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing. “I was never subject to any searches of my personal or business properties, I was never interviewed, and my companies have never failed an audit,” he added. “They are built on professionalism and trust, and this result changes none of that.”
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