Wikileaks founder Assange screws over friends and supporters - leaving them on the hook to pay for bail-term violations

Former BBC journalist Vaughan Smith, who hosted Assange at his country house for more than a year as the WikiLeaks founder fought extradition, was among the nine supporters who had argued that they should not be punished for trying to “serve the public interest” in the case.

But Chief Magistrate Howard Riddle on Monday ordered them to pay 93,500 pounds ($150,000) by Nov. 6, saying that while he accepted the supporters had acted in good faith, they had failed in their “basic duty” to ensure Assange surrendered.

“They must have understood the risk and the concerns of the courts,” he said in his ruling, ordering each of the nine to pay part of 140,000 pounds ($224,300) originally pledged.