
Dad faces jail after handing sensitive information on ex-Tory MP to men he thought were Russian agents
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Scheming Howard Phillips is seen dropping a USB stick containing information on Grant Shapps into a bike
Credit: PA
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Phillips gave details personal details belonging to former Defence Secretary Mr Shapps to undercover officers posing as Russian agents
Credit: AFP
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Dad of four Phillips, 65, who 'wanted to be like Bond', faces jail
Credit: BPM
The former insolvency worker, whose ex-wife told of his 007 fixation, was struggling financially after retiring.
A court heard he thought it would be 'easy work for easy money' to provide agents 'Dima' and 'Sasha' with a USB stick containing personal details about his local MP.
The authorities had launched an investigation after Phillips, who had applied to join the UK Border Force, made contact with Russia's embassy.
He became 'deeply involved' with the undercover men, who spoke to him in fake Russian accents, promising '100 per cent loyalty' with 'no questions asked'.
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He offered details on Mr Shapps, who he had met at a synagogue, and was nicked after handing the USB stick to 'Sasha' for £1,000 in April 2024.
Phillips, of Harlow,
Essex
— who claimed his aim was to 'expose' a
Jocelyn Ledward KC, prosecuting, told the court that it is possible Shapps will provide a victim impact statement which would be read out at Phillips's sentencing.
Phillips shook his head just before being led down to the cells, and appeared to mouth the words 'can't believe it'.
Most read in The Sun
He will be sentenced later.
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The Irish Sun
5 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Heartache for Bayesian yacht victim Mike Lynch's family – estate faces bankruptcy after court demands it hand over £700M
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The High Court ruled that HP had paid a lot more than it would have done 'had Autonomy's true financial position been correctly presented' during the sale. If his estate — which goes to Angela and her remaining daughter Esme, 22 — ends up having to pay, it will almost certainly be bankrupted, leaving no inheritance for the family. Advertisement Most read in The Sun It is believed Lynch shielded his wife's personal fortune from the messy court cases. She owned millions of pounds worth of shares held in her name in other family firms. I found doomed Bayesian I saw still haunts me And she made more than £15million from the sale of her shares when Autonomy was taken over. One pal told us: 'Mike wasn't perfect but he wasn't a criminal in any way, shape or form. Advertisement He had asked various Cabinet ministers and Prime Ministers, including and Boris Johnson, to help him. 'Rishi and Johnson were more interested in making post-Brexit trade deals than making any trouble on Mike's behalf. 'Rishi and Johnson were more interested in making post-Brexit trade deals than making any trouble on Mike's behalf. 'These cases hung over him for years and he ended up under house arrest in San Francisco unable to leave for months, facing charges that he was ultimately cleared of. Advertisement 'He helped a lot of people make a lot of money but they assumed he was guilty as charged and then ran a million miles. 'He was abandoned by his peer group and by his government then, when he won his US case, everyone wanted to be his friend again. 'The irony is he had gone out on the "It's been one tragedy after another for his family.' Advertisement The latest damages ruling had been delayed until this week because of the circumstances surrounding the yachting disaster on August 19 last year. The judge expressed his 'sorrow at the devastating turn of events' at sea and offered 'sympathy and deepest condolences'. 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The Irish Sun
7 hours ago
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The Irish Sun
9 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
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