A 66-year-old British man has been jailed for seven years after offering to spy for Russia in an undercover sting operation. Howard Phillips, from Harlow, Essex, approached individuals he believed were Russian intelligence agents but were actually MI5 officers.
Phillips offered sensitive personal information about former Defence Secretary Sir Grant Shapps, whom he had known since 2002. The court heard he proposed providing details of Shapps' private plane location, travel logistics and hotel bookings. He also offered to gain employment in the Civil Service and apply for security clearance to access classified information.
Financial desperation
Winchester Crown Court heard Phillips was motivated by money rather than ideology. His bank balance had plummeted from over £25,000 in April 2023 to just £374 by May 2024. He told the undercover officers, known to him as "Sasha" and "Dima", he wanted to avoid a traditional office job.
In sentencing remarks, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said: «You were prepared to betray your country for money. I sentence you on the basis you are not ideologically driven but motivated by money.» She described him as having «a personality with narcissistic tendencies and an overblown sense of his own importance».
"James Bond fantasist"
Sir Grant Shapps told the court he felt «shocked» by the betrayal. In a victim impact statement, he said: «I feel it has been a complete breach of trust by Mr Phillips.» He added: «He chose to take whatever information he had and attempted to sell it to a foreign intelligence service thereby, wantonly, putting myself, my family and ultimately the country at risk.»
Defence counsel Jeremy Dein KC described Phillips as a «fantasist» who had made a «monumental error of judgment». Phillips' ex-wife testified he «would dream about being like James Bond». Phillips claimed he was «playing a role» to expose Russian agents.
Commander Dominic Murphy from Counter Terrorism Policing warned: «This case demonstrates the serious consequences for anyone who thinks working on behalf of the Russian intelligence service is a way of earning easy money.» He emphasized those convicted under the National Security Act face lengthy prison sentences while risking their liberty for little financial gain.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
