Gordon Ramsay’s father-in-law has pleaded guilty to conspiring to hack a computer system relating to the celebrity chef’s business interests.<\/p>\n
Christopher Hutcheson, 68, and his sons Adam, 46, and Christopher, 37, admitted plotting to unlawfully access Gordon Ramsay Holdings Limited’s system.<\/p>\n
His daughter Orlanda Butland, aged 45, denied the same charge.<\/p>\n
The prosecution accepted the pleas at London’s Old Bailey and offered no evidence in relation to Ms Butland.<\/p>\n
Hutcheson Snr is the father of Ramsay’s wife, Tana.<\/p>\n
The charges relate to a plot to hack into the computer system at the firm, between 23 October 2010 and 31 March, 2011.<\/p>\n
Hutcheson Snr was charged under Operation Tuleta, which began in the wake of the phone hacking scandal.<\/p>\n
At a previous hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, the prosecution said the plot to hack into the system came after Hutcheson Snr was dismissed from the company.<\/p>\n
Prosecutor Dan Suter had said: “The prosecution would say as a result of that dismissal he was motivated to access unlawfully the computer system.”<\/p>\n
At the Old Bailey on Tuesday, Hutcheson, who has a home in France, but gave his address as Wycombe Place, Earlsfield, south west London – the same address as Ms Butland – was released on bail.<\/p>\n
Hutcheson Jnr, of Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, and Adam Hutcheson, of Sevenoaks, Kent, were also released on bail.<\/p>\n
The defendants could face a maximum possible sentence of two years in prison.<\/p>\n
Judge Gerald Gordon, who heard the case, formally entered a not guilty verdict in the case of Ms Butland.<\/p>\n
He agreed to the preparation of pre-sentence reports and adjourned sentencing, which has been scheduled for 2 June.<\/p>\n
A spokeswoman for Ramsay has declined to comment on the case.<\/p>\n
Source: bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"