Moment alleged Russian spy ‘drops off USB stick in bike seat to leak Grant Shapps's sensitive details'
A court has been shown photographs that allegedly see Howard Phillips, 65, delivering a secretive message for his "Russian handlers".
Advertisement
6
Newly released pictures reveal the moment Mr Phillips allegedly dropped a USB stick containing private information about Grant Shapps inside a bike
Credit: Solent
6
Mr Philips being arrested at a Black Sheep Coffee outlet in London
Credit: Solent
6
Grant Shapps served as defence secretary from August 2023 to July 2024
Credit: AFP
Mr Phillips is currently on trial accused of trying to spy for the
Pictures shown to Winchester Crown Court allegedly show him following his handlers' instructions by dropping off a message inside a USB stick in the opened seat shaft of a bike.
Prosecutors alleged that Mr Phillips wanted to "offer services" to Russian intelligence but unknowingly was corresponding with undercover British security service agents - whom he believed to be from the Kremlin.
Another image shows the alleged spy, and previous insolvency worker, being arrested at a Black Sheep Coffee outlet in London.
Advertisement
Read More on UK News
Other pictures display a phone and hotel rooms he allegedly bought on behalf of the Russian "agents".
The court heard how the dad of four - who was due to start a job with UK Border Force - handed the operatives a bag containing a USB stick with Shapps' personal details.
These included his home address, phone number, and the location of his private plane.
Mr Phillips, from Harlow, Essex, denies engaging in conduct to assist a foreign intelligence service.
Advertisement
Most read in The Sun
Prosecutors argue that the former insolvency worker boasted he could get government clearance, as a result of his new job with Border Force.
The court heard how Mr Phillips said he wanted the "agents" and him to be like "family", adding they could all "help and look after each other".
Moment ringleader of bed-hopping Russian spy ring is snared as cops storm UK guesthouse
He also allegedly claimed to have been in Shapps' home and had met him several times.
In one meeting with the "agents", Mr Phillips said: "I have something. I don't know if you want it or don't want it.
Advertisement
"What do you know about the Secretary of Defence in the UK? Because, I have personal information which may be useful."
Jurors were shown a letter Mr Phillips was allegedly handed during that same meeting, which read: "Dear Howard, thank you for your continued cooperation. Moscow very pleased with ongoing progress."
He reportedly asked that, going forward, the officers refer to Moscow as "mother" in their messages.
It is alleged that after this point, Mr Phillips continued to assist the supposed agents and did not withdraw his Border Force job application, which prosecutors say would have provided him with further access to Government information.
Advertisement
A note that promised "100 per cent loyalty" to the
6
Mr Phillips is accused of engaging in conduct to assist a foreign intelligence service
Credit: Facebook
6
A close-up of the moment Mr Phillips allegedly dropped off the USB
Credit: Solent
6
The USB stick in Mr Phillips' posession
Credit: Solent
Advertisement
It also claimed Mr Phillips could move "under the radar" if he gained a valid government security vetting pass.
The trial had heard previously how the dad had applied for a job with the UK Border Force in October 2023.
However, he was unemployed at the time of the alleged spying, with Jocelyn Ledward KC, prosecuting, saying his "financial struggles" contributed to his "eagerness and desire" to help the RIS.
Messages between Mr Phillips and the "Russian spies" began in March 2024, starting first over email before moving to WhatsApp, and eventually Signal.
Advertisement
Shapps served as defence secretary from August 2023 to July 2024 and would have been involved in countless important communications with Ukranian President
The trial continues.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
6 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Brit dad desperately tried to save drowning kids, 11 & 13, off ‘yellow-flagged' beach as cop tells of tragic rescue bid
A BRITISH dad desperately tried to save his drowning children off a "yellow-flagged" beach, with a cop speaking of the rescue bid. The brother and sister, aged 11 and 13 respectively, 5 A British dad desperately tried to save his drowning children off a 'yellow-flagged' beach Credit: Solarpix 5 The brother and sister, aged 11 and 13 respectively, tragically died off Llarga beach in Salou, Tarragona Credit: Solarpix 5 The family had reportedly been staying at the Negresco Hotel Credit: Solarpix 5 The two children, alongside their dad, had gone swimming from the rocky area of the Negresco Hotel - where the family had been staying, local media reports. As they swam, the siblings were reportedly swept by the current and separated by a hundred metres, Civil Protection sources told Their dad reportedly made a desperate attempt to save them and had to be rescued himself after nearly drowning. Three local cops had heroically jumped into the sea to rescue the family, with Chief Inspector Jose Luis Gargallo telling reporters that the sea was rough and a yellow flag had been raised. read more news One of the officers, identified only by his first name and the initial of his surname as Younes A, said: 'A hotel worker was trying to get one of the three out of the sea when we arrived. 'We were told when we helped get that person out that another two people were in the sea who could be minors. 'We tried to locate them, saw bits of clothes and seconds later were able to locate and get a young girl out of the water and began resuscitation and another police force was the one responsible for getting the other child out of the sea. 'When the emergency services arrived they took over the efforts to save them until they said they couldn't do anything more. Most read in The Sun 'We don't know the circumstances leading up to them getting into difficulties. 'I leapt into the water with two other colleagues to get the father to safety first before going back to rescue one of the children.' Tragedy in Majorca: British Tourist Drowns Near Love Island Villa He added: 'There were waves and wind. It was dangerous. There was a lot of swell.' Lifeguards were not at the beach as their duties finished at 8pm - just 48 minutes before the harrowing incident unfolded, Gargallo said. Cops managed to save the children's dad, who had swallowed a lot of water and was very exhausted, Gargallo said. The children were also brought to the shore but tragically could not be resuscitated. Gargallo said: "When the officers arrived, there were three people with significant difficulties getting out of the sea; all resuscitation maneuvers were performed on the children, but without success. "We did everything possible, we put the father in a safe area, we also took the minor and performed resuscitation on him, but without success." He added that CPR continued to be performed until emergency services arrived. Gargallo explained how the couple had five children, and while the dad and two of the children were out swimming, the mum stayed at the hotel with the other three. Salou Town Hall carried out a minute's silence just before midday local time today following the tragedy. Authorities said the deaths marked the 15th and 16th fatalities on Catalan beaches since June 15. The number "already exceeds by five those registered in the same period last summer ". Around five hours before the British children died, a 54-year-old German tourist drowned at a nearby beach in the resort of Cambrils. He was rescued alive but died soon after he reached the shoreline. The tragic incident occurred around 4.30pm yesterday at Cap Sant Pere beach in Cambrils. Cambrils' mayor Oliver Klein said afterwards: 'We profoundly regret the loss of a human life on our coast. 'It's a tragic incident which has left us deeply moved. I want to express my most sincere condolences to the family and friends of the person affected.' 5 Around five hours before the British children died, a 54-year-old German tourist drowned at a nearby beach in the resort of Cambrils Credit: Solarpix
Irish Independent
6 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Verdict on 100-plus charges against Manchester City could be months away with further delays in sight
Some club leaders have even speculated that it might arrive in the campaign's second international break, from 4-18 October, given previous patterns regarding similar cases. An outcome was expected last season, given that the hearing concluded in early December. It has nevertheless rumbled on into the summer, and means another season faces the weight of potential upheaval and drastic change through possible points deductions. Manchester City stridently insist upon their innocence. Actual details of the process have been kept under lock and key, with only those directly involved knowing exactly how it is going, due to the sensitivity of the case. The charges involve accusations of City breaching football's financial regulations, and Freedom of Information requests revealed that the British embassy in Abu Dhabi discussed the case. Bloomberg even reported that UAE officials raised the charges in a meeting with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy in 2024, but Lammy said it was a matter for the Premier League. Insiders with knowledge of certain aspects of the investigation are nevertheless predicting a September-October outcome, with some believing it will come in one of the international breaks. The initial outcome of City's Associated Party Transaction case ended up arriving on October 7 2024, which was at the start of that period's Fifa window. Such stances have nevertheless been subject to change, given there was previously a widespread view that the initial decisions would be published around Easter, and the end of April. The controversy - which has now been ongoing since the initial Der Spiegel 'Football Leaks' in November 2018 and resulted in the Premier League announcing 100-plus charges in February 2023 - is commonly seen as an 'existential moment' for the league and the wider game regardless of outcome. ADVERTISEMENT Premier League insiders say it has also had another effect, which is in delaying proper governance. Clubs are now unwilling to push through or even suggest any major changes in the running of the competition, due to the belief that the outcome of the case could change absolutely everything. There is also a split between clubs regarding what should happen if the most severe charges are proven and City are punished. While a minority would push for outright expulsion in such an event, that is seen as unlikely since it would require a special shareholder vote and a majority of 15 clubs. Other clubs are more in favour of a potential punishment allowing everyone to get on with it, as they feel the controversy is now causing undue damage to the Premier League. That very view is nevertheless seen by other executives as a concerted 'tactic' by City, since the stakeholders are more likely to become fatigued by the process the longer it goes on. Another split revolves around the idea of 'a stay' in the event of a potential City punishment, and whether the club face sanctions straight away or after an appeal. One senior club executive said that there is unlikely to be any tangible change to anything for even a year after the initial outcome, due to the various stages of the process as well as possible appeals. As it is, City themselves are understood to be 'confident' they will be cleared.
Irish Examiner
6 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Stephen Cadogan: Farmers cheer as von der Leyen's EU budget faces collapse
The rejection by close political allies of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's budget plan for 2028-2034 leaves her on a slippery slope. Farmers would be happy to see her go after she turned her back on agriculture in her wartime EU budget plan for 2028-2034. Her own country, Germany, the EU's largest member state and biggest funding contributor, was one of the first to shoot down her commission's €2 trillion long-term budget proposal, which seems focused on tackling overseas competition and Russian aggression, but leaves the long-established Common Agriculture Policy in the lurch. The ruling German Christian Democrats, of which von der Leyen is a member, said the commission's budget proposal is a "no-go". And the EPP, of which von der Leyen is also a member, and the largest political group in the European Parliament, has also said it "cannot give the long-term budget a green light" after "key red lines set by the European Parliament have been ignored". The EPP gave its powerful backing instead to farmers, saying: "We will reject any budget that fails to ring-fence sufficient funding for both the Common Agricultural Policy and Cohesion Policy, or where our farmers must compete with our regions for EU funding. These are not bargaining chips. These are pillars of the European project. They must be protected, not traded away." All EU national capitals, as well as the European Parliament, must agree on the plan before it is approved; therefore, last week's proposal must go down as a failed dry run, and a very bad start to the two-year budget process for von der Leyen. She has alienated the Greens, who helped get her the commission presidency in 2019 by an 8% vote margin in the parliament, She has also alienated many of the pro-Europeans who re-elected her last November with a 17% majority. She survived a no-confidence vote in the parliament earlier in July, which exposed the increasing political opposition to her. Adjusted for inflation, von der Leyen's budget proposal represents a cut of at least 20% in real terms to the EU's agricultural spending, thus giving two fingers to the farmers who protested in such huge numbers in 2023 and 2024. More charitable and rational Brussels watchers describe her plan as a bold bid to re-think the EU project, for a more ambitious Europe capable of shaping global change. But they agree she may have gone too far. Fraught negotiations within the commission delayed the proposals, and made a communications disaster of the announcement of a central EU seven-year budget of up to €2 trillion, compared to €1.2 trillion between 2021 and 2027, but steering funding away from traditional areas such as agriculture and regional development, towards new priorities such as defence and innovation. Included are €100 billion exclusively for Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction, €131 billion to boost the defence and space sectors, and increased EU funds into transport infrastructure for military mobility. The parliament's second largest political group, Socialists and Democrats, shot down the plan as "not serving the interests of Europeans". Iratxe García Pérez, President of the S&D Group, said: Any idea to make access to EU funding conditional on austerity measures is a no-go for us. Next biggest in the parliament, and the main opposition, the conservative Patriots, are likely to take the opportunity to seek a new no-confidence vote in von der Leyen, which is also supported by The Left, with only 46 seats, for whom Irish MEP Luke Flanagan was the designated speaker reacting to the budget plan. Next biggest in the parliament are the ECR and Renew, both with about 80 seats. Renew said no to the budget plan's "disguised re-nationalisation of the EU budget" and "the end of the EU shared project". The ECR expressed reservations. The Greens/EFA, with 53 MEPs, went against the flow by saying the budget plan is not large enough for Europe's needs. Her plan was not universally rejected; it favours some eastern EU states, and Czechia cautiously welcomed it. Poland's government also welcomed it, predicting they will continue to be the biggest recipient of EU funds. But their Hungarian neighbours are sure to reject it. The plan will have to change beyond recognition for acceptance by the parliament and member states, so farming details such as a guaranteed payments focus on active farmers, an upper limit of €100,000, and phasing out CAP payments to old age pensioners, might disappear along the way.
