Gordon Ramsay in-laws face jail after hacking chef's computer system

Three of Gordon Ramsay's in-laws could be facing jail for hacking the computer system of the celebrity chef's company.

Ramsay's father-in-law Chris Hutcheson, 68, along with his sons, Adam Hutcheson, 46, and Chris Hutcheson Jnr, 37, admitted a plot to hack into Gordon Ramsay Holdings Ltd (GRHL) between October 23 2010 and March 31 2011.

All three defendants, who are on bail, face up to two years behind bars when they are sentenced by Judge Gerald Gordon at the Old Bailey later.

Hutcheson Snr, who is the father of Ramsay's wife, Tana, was involved in a very public falling out with the chef, some of which was aired in legal battles heard at the High Court.

At an earlier hearing, prosecutor Dan Suter had described the case as "convoluted and voluminous".

He said: "The prosecution concerns the hacking of the computer system of Gordon Ramsay Holdings Ltd, and the email accounts of Gordon Ramsay Ltd employees.

"At the time of the alleged conspiracy, Chris Hutcheson Snr had been dismissed by Gordon Ramsay Holdings Ltd. He has previously held a senior position with GRHL.

"The prosecution would say as a result of that dismissal he was motivated to access unlawfully the computer system.

"There was surrounding civil litigation after his dismissal.

"Subsequently, Adam Hutcheson was also dismissed from GRHL."

The prosecution alleged emails were exchanged between Chris Hutcheson Snr and Adam Hutcheson, discussing how they could "crack into" specific email accounts of GRHL employees.

It was alleged the accounts were hacked to access material that could prove useful in the civil litigation proceedings.

The court was told a firm of solicitors had been instructed in relation to an alleged affair between Chris Hutcheson Snr and Sara Stewart.

She claimed there was a breach of privacy after a photograph of her was sent on, it was claimed.

Mr Suter said: "It was alleged by Sara Stewart there had been a breach of privacy in relation to a photograph that was taken.

"As a result of the alleged breach of privacy, it is then alleged that the defendants tried to access the system, to determine whether Gordon Ramsay had then sent that picture on even further in breach of the undertaking."

Once Gordon Ramsay realised he had been hacked, he instructed an expert who identified the IP addresses of those involved.

Mr Suter had said: "The IP addresses for the defendants have been determined through the civil litigation papers.

"And a Met Police expert has reviewed those log files, and found almost 2,000 unauthorised entries into the accounts of Gordon Ramsay Holdings Ltd."

Hutcheson Snr, who has a home in Druillat, France, gave an address of Wycombe Place, Earlsfield, south-west London, while Hutcheson Jnr is from Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, and Hutcheson is from Sevenoaks, in Kent.