British man Howard Phillips guilty of trying to spy for Russia

A British man who “dreamt about being like James Bond” has been found guilty of trying to spy for what he believed to be Russian intelligence service agents.

Howard Phillips, from Harlow, Essex, wanted to pass on personal information about former defence secretary Sir Grant Shapps.

The 65-year-old offered to help two agents called Sasha and Dima, but Winchester Crown Court heard they were actually undercover British intelligence officers.

Phillips, who was found guilty of assisting a foreign intelligence service under the National Security Act, will be sentenced at a later date.

He silently shook his head in the dock as the jury gave its unanimous verdict after four hours and four minutes of deliberations.

The defendant’s ex-wife, Amanda Phillips, told the trial he “would dream about being like James Bond” and watched films to do with MI5 and MI6 as he was “infatuated with it”.

Phillips applied for a job with UK Border Force in October 2023, which prosecutors said was part of his bid to assist Russia.

Phillips told the agents on WhatsApp he was “semi-retired but with connections in high places”, before meeting them in both London and at Lakeside Shopping Centre in West Thurrock, Essex, on 9 May 2024.

During one meeting, he asked them to use the word “mother” instead of “Moscow”, adding he hoped mother would show her “full appreciation” for his work.

The defendant also revealed he had the home address of Sir Grant, who was the UK secretary of defence at the time.

Prosecutors said a month prior, he left the agents a USB on a bike near St Pancras and Euston stations in London.

It contained a document by Phillips claiming he would be “invaluable” to a foreign power, offering “100% loyalty and dedication”, jurors were told.

Phillips was arrested by plain-clothed officers on 16 May 2024 after meeting with Sasha near King’s Cross station.

Bethan David, the head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s counter terrorism division, said Phillips “clearly outlined the services he was willing to provide for a hostile state”.

She added: “From gaining employment within the civil service and applying for security clearance… Phillips was brazen in his pursuit for financial gain and unbothered about the potential detriment to his own country.

“We will always seek to prosecute anyone who poses a threat to the UK.”

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb remanded Phillips until sentencing at the “earliest available date” in the autumn.

Reacting to Phillips’ conviction, Security Minister Dan Jarvis thanked the UK’s “world class law enforcement” for their work.