Staffordshire Twitter user signposted cyber attacks which crippled Home Office website, court hears

Mark Johnson is alleged to have posted a link in his social media account which meant other web users could join in with the hacking attack launched by the cyber activists group Anonymous, in 2012.

He denies a charge under the Computer Misuse Act of encouraging or assisting a distributed denial of service (Ddos) attack against the Home Office website and Home Secretary Theresa May's own constituency web page, putting both out of commission.

Timothy Devlin, for the Crown, said that during a concerted two-day cyber attack '8,347 connections' hit the Home Office site in one half-hour period.

The sheer weight of connections meant that an alternative 'disaster recovery' version of the site had to be put online in place of the main site, he added.

The Crown alleges Johnson of Josiah Wedgwood Street, in Stoke-on-Trent, assisted in both web attacks by posting a 'malicious' web link through his Twitter account which, when clicked, allowed a web-user to add their connection to the cyber assault. We say Mark Johnson published that link in his Twitter account," said Mr Devlin. "He was saying 'if you want to help close down the Home Office and Theresa May's website, here's the link'."

He added: "We say Mark Johnson published links on Twitter for people to get involved in these joint attacks."

Mr Devlin explained to the trial jury at Birmingham Crown Court, at the start of his trial, that Johnson did not deny supporting some of global hacking group Anonymous' campaigns.

The prosecution counsel also said the 44-year-old's Twitter account contained a picture of one of the hacking group's signature images, a stylised Guy Fawkes mask. Mr Devlin said it was Johnson's defence that his social media account had been hacked, and link had been posted by someone else.

His trial is expected to last a week.