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Craig Wright said he won’t be attending his contempt of court hearing in London today, citing a “lack of means for travel.” As a result, he will likely be found in contempt and face possible arrest and prison.
There was much speculation about whether Wright would show up at the London Royal Courts of Justice to face the hearing brought by the Crypto Open Patent Alliance (COPA). Last November, Mr. Justice Mellor ordered Wright to attend in person after deciding his arguments against attending carried “no justification.”
He said, “It is difficult to avoid the conclusion invited by COPA which was that his real motivation is a wish to avoid the consequences of his contempt (if proved).”
Read more: COPA says Craig Wright used ChatGPT to write court submissions
Wright tried to argue that his autism and Christmas plans, among other things, should prevent him from attending.
COPA argues that Wright has breached his court injunctions after he filed a lawsuit against Jack Dorsey’s Square Up and BTC Core claiming £900 billion in damages.
Today’s High Court hearing was recorded by BitMEX Research, Bitnorbert, and patent attorney David Pearce. COPA reportedly offered to cover the costs of Wright’s travel. However, Wright, who now also dabbles in casino design, rejected the offer, reportedly asking for as much as £240,000.
According to Wright, this sum reflected the loss of business opportunities due to “COPA’s actions.”
COPA’s legal representative, Jonathan Hough from Bird & Bird, claimed, “Wright is voluntarily absenting himself to avoid consequences.” Hough later recommended that Wright should receive a custodial sentence of two years.
We will update this article as the case develops.