IT worker who hacked Network Rail wi-fi to rant about 'Islamisation of Europe' avoids jail as judge cites prison overcrowding
Customers who went online at 19 major railway stations across the UK on September 25, 2024, viewed information about major terror attacks including 7/7 and the Manchester Arena bombing.
Swedish John Wik, 37, had discussed defacing the page with a colleague, citing the 'significant political damage' he could cause before he posted the message.
The hacker worked for Global Reach providing public WiFi networks to major companies including Network Rail.
Wik hijacked the usual WiFi terms and conditions page with his anti-Islam message which was headed: 'We love you, Europe. The Islamisation of Europe is already happening and it's getting worse each day.'
His message warning of future terror attacks was seen by a 'significant number of people' and was up for several hours before it was removed.
Vincent Scully, prosecuting, said the offence 'required some level of sophistication.
'It required logging into multiple systems, and drafting quite a long document that didn't contain many spelling errors.'
The wifi webpage after the hack said 'We love you, Europe' and contained information about terror attacks, which has been obscured by MailOnline in the above image
He added: 'This was a particularly sensitive social climate. It was a few weeks after the Axel Rudakubana incident and the riots at the start of August.
'Mr Wik's internet history shows that he has a long-standing fascination with Islamist terror attacks and at some stage a fascination with converting to Islam himself.
'Clearly there is some level of tension between those two.'
Stations affected by the attack included Paddington, Kings Cross, London Bridge, Victoria, Bristol Temple Meads, Birmingham New Street, Glasgow Central and Manchester Piccadilly.
Wik earlier admitted distributing threatening material intending to stir up religious hatred, which carries the maximum of a seven-year jail sentence.
He was given a suspended jail sentence after Judge Vanessa Baraitser took into account the lack of space in prisons.
He appeared at Inner London Crown Court wearing a dark blue suit jack, blue jeans and a white shirt as the judge told him: 'Customers were redirected to a landing page that contained threatening and Islamophobic messages.
'The messages referred to the Islamisation of Europe, with claims that things were getting worse each day.'
The page listed major terror attacks that had taken place in Europe in recent years, including the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, the 7/7 London Tube and bus bombings and the Bataclan Theatre massacre in Paris in 2015.
The message also contained photos of the victims and of the terrorists.
Judge Baraitser said: 'The message continues 'And so much more in the name of Allah'.
'The number of people who accessed the portal in that period is unknown. What is known is that millions of rail passengers pass through those stations every day. A large percentage will try to connect to the free wi-fi.
'Passengers contacted British Transport Police and described their fear and disgust on reading the message.
'One passenger believed that the message might be suggesting that another deadly attack might be about to happen.
'When police attended your home you told them that you had drunk a bottle of vodka that day.'
Wik had shown an interest in converting to Islam a few years earlier, the court heard.
'Your interest in Islam appears to have begun around 2020. You watched YouTube videos about the process of converting to Islam.
'The police found articles you had read about the record number of Brits converting to Islam.
'You were only able to access the portal because of your position as a trusted employee at Global Reach.
'This required some sophisticated work on your part.
'I accept that you are now genuinely remorseful for what you did. You have described yourself as disturbed and disgusted by it.
'I don't accept that the timing of the message aggravates the offence.'
The judge took prison conditions into account when she handed Wik a two-year suspended sentence.
'You are being sentenced at a time when the prison population is very high and close to capacity.'
Andrew Cohen, defending, said Wik had not incited violence in his message.
'It is notable that there is nothing in it that says, for example, we have to kick Muslims out of the country, or that you have to kill, attack or burn mosques or anything similar.
'He is originally from a small town in Sweden.
'In 2016 he moved [to the UK] and had been employed up until his arrest.
'This has cost him dear. He lost his job. His entire life savings have been depleted. He has been living on support from his parents.
'It is quite a dramatic fall from grace, what has happened to him.
'The punishment and suffering has already taken place. He is most unlikely to offend again.
'The defendant is extremely sorry for what he has done, and is extremely ashamed of himself.'
Wik, from Bromley, south London, was given a 24 month prison sentence suspended for 24 months.
He will have to complete 280 hours of unpaid work and 25 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement.
Wik will also have to pay £150 in costs and a victim surcharge within 28 days.
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