@pneumeric
249(2)Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years who, directly or indirectly, accesses any computer system with intent, dishonestly or by deception, and without claim of right,—

If all else fails one can take a page out of the Waihopai Ploughshares book and pursue a claim of right defence……Should work given what I have read in the book. He need not be afraid of a follow u,p civil suit. That has ended up on the scrap heap and it was funded by the government.