A 65-year-old British man, Howard Phillips, has been convicted of attempting to spy for Russia after trying to share sensitive information with individuals he believed were Russian agents — who turned out to be undercover British operatives.
Phillips, who was reportedly obsessed with James Bond and fantasized about being like the fictional spy, was found guilty at Winchester Crown Court of attempting to assist a foreign intelligence service. The jury returned a unanimous verdict after four hours of deliberation.
He is currently in custody and will be sentenced in the autumn, though a date has not yet been set.
Prosecutors revealed that Phillips offered to pass on personal details about former Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, including the location of his private aircraft, claiming it would allow Russian agents to intercept British defence communications.
His ex-wife testified that he was “infatuated” with British spy films and aspired to emulate the iconic 007 character.
Bethan David, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Counter-Terrorism Division, said the conviction sends a strong message to those tempted to betray their country.
“Mr Phillips was brazen in his pursuit of financial gain, with no regard for the potential harm caused to his own country,” she said.
