British man convicted of trying to spy for Russian intelligence service
But 'Dima' and 'Sasha' were in fact undercover British intelligence officers, Winchester Crown Court previously heard.
A jury found Phillips guilty of assisting a foreign intelligence service under the National Security Act on Tuesday, following a two-week trial at the same court.
The jury reached a unanimous verdict after four hours and four minutes of deliberations.
Phillips, wearing a dark suit and tie, silently shook his head in the dock as the verdict was given.
Prosecutors said Phillips intended to assist Russian agents from the end of 2023 until May last year.
Phillips offered to pass on Sir Grant's contact details as well as the location where he kept his private plane in order to 'facilitate the Russians in listening on British defence plans', the trial heard.
He was heard telling the men he wanted to work for Russia in exchange for financial independence from the UK.
The defendant's ex-wife, Amanda Phillips, told the court during the trial that he 'would dream about being like James Bond', and that he watched films to do with MI5 and MI6 as he was 'infatuated with it'.
Mrs Phillips told the court she was aware the defendant had applied for a job at the UK Border Force in October 2023, which prosecutors said was part of his bid to assist Russia's intelligence service.
Phillips previously claimed he had contacted the Russian embassy in early 2024 in a bid to track and expose Russian agents to assist Israel.
He told jurors he ascertained 'from the onset' that 'Dima' and 'Shasha' were 'definitely not Russian' and were undercover individuals, but that he carried on 'playing a role' around these agents in order to 'test the waters'.
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb remanded Phillips in custody and adjourned sentencing to the 'earliest available date' in the autumn.
The judge said she wanted a full pre-sentence report on the defendant ahead of sentencing as the conviction was for a 'relatively new' offence.
Addressing the jurors, she said: 'Thank you very much for the important work that you have done on this very important case.
'We are trying, as a system, to get to the right answers in these situations.'
Officers from the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command arrested Phillips in central London on May 16 last year, after he travelled to the capital for a meeting with the two apparent Russian agents.
Detective Chief Superintendent Helen Flanagan said: 'Phillips was unemployed and his primary motivation for wanting to become a spy for the Russian Intelligence Service was financial reward.
'His conviction should act as stark warning to anyone who thinks that carrying out illegal activity on behalf of a foreign state is an attractive or easy way to earn money.
'The reality is that we take this kind of activity extremely seriously.
'Those involved will be identified, investigated and, like Phillips, will face extremely serious consequences when they are convicted.
'This case is also another successful use of the National Security Act to prosecute someone who was attempting to undermine the security of the UK and we will continue to use these powers available to us to help keep the public safe.'
Bethan David, head of the Crown Prosecution Service's counter terrorism division, said: 'This conviction sends a clear message to anyone considering spying for or assisting Russia.
'Howard Phillips clearly outlined the services he was willing to provide for a hostile state. From gaining employment within the civil service and applying for security clearance, to providing the personal details of the Secretary of State for Defence – Phillips was brazen in his pursuit for financial gain and unbothered about the potential detriment to his own country.
'It is a criminal offence to assist a foreign intelligence service, regardless of your motive or whether or not you succeed.
'We will always seek to prosecute anyone who poses a threat to the UK.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
19 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trump's DOJ to meet with Ghislaine Maxwell today
Advertisement Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche is interviewing British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell on Thursday. Multiple reports confirm that Blanche flew to Florida on Wednesday night to meet in-person with the convicted child sexual trafficking offender the next day. Blanche arrived at the federal courthouse around 9:00 a.m., and Maxwell's attorneys were also seen entering the building in Tallahassee. 'We're looking forward to a productive day,' Maxwell's appellate lawyer David Markus told ABC News. Maxwell, 63, is currently serving a 20-year sentence at a low-security prison in Tallahassee and is the only person serving time behind bars for Jeffrey Epstein 's child sexual crimes. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Tuesday that Blanche had requested an interview with Maxwell to ask Epstein's longtime girlfriend: 'What do you know?' Blanche, Bondi's No. 2 at the Justice Department, confirmed Tuesday the sit-down would take place 'in coming days.' It comes as Trump's DOJ remains embroiled in controversy for failing to put out the full Epstein-related files. MAGA supporters are demanding that Trump do more to get to the bottom of the Epstein files after the president campaigned on making information related to the convicted sexual offender public. It's unclear what Maxwell can reveal that isn't already public and the closed-door meeting is fueling skepticism over the handling of the Epstein files review. Maxwell is also on the books to testify before Congress on August 11. Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal (Conn.) said the meeting is a way for the administration to 'secure a cover-up.' The Connecticut senator said that Blanche is conducting a 'secret meeting' in order to strike a 'secret deal giving her potentially a pardon for providing information favorable to Trump.' Maxwell has already made clear her intent to get her prison sentence absolved . Her lawyers asked the Supreme Court to take up her case, arguing the socialite should have never been charged because of a plea deal Epstein struck in 2008. 'President Trump has told us to release all credible evidence,' Blanche said in a statement posted to X by Bondi. 'If Ghislane Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say.' Maxwell's attorney David Oscar Markus told CNN the team is in discussions to have her tell her side of the story. 'I can confirm that we are in discussions with the government and that Ghislaine will always testify truthfully,' Markus said. 'We are grateful to President Trump for his commitment to uncovering the truth in this case.' Just last week, the DOJ opposed Maxwell's request to have the Supreme Court review her case, with her lawyers claiming she should have never been charged because of a 2008 plea deal the courts struck with Epstein. Trump tried desperately to get his base to abandon criticism of Bondi and the FBI after a memo earlier this month concluded the review found no foul play in Epstein's death. MAGA supporters were particularly enraged that no new material was produced in the Epstein files review and that Trump's DOJ found no existence of a so-called 'client list' of high profile co-conspirators. The president even started calling the whole ordeal the 'Epstein hoax' and claimed Democrats were to blame for stoking conspiracies in an effort to divide Republicans. When that didn't work, Trump directed Bondi last week to request the Southern District of New York to unseal grand jury testimony in the Epstein court case. 'I've contacted her counsel,' Blanche said. 'I intend to meet with her soon. No one is above the law—and no lead is off-limits.' Some Trump loyalists still aren't buying the latest attempt to recover from the failure that this month has caused a rift in MAGA world. Leading the opposition to Bondi's investigation has been conservative personality Laura Loomer, who has taken to calling the AG 'Blondi.' She said on Tuesday that the action seems like a way to 'cope' with the growing uprising within the Republican Party. 'Why wasn't this 'interview' with Ghislaine Maxwell done on day 1?' Loomer questioned on X. 'Shouldn't they have already done this?' she continued. 'Maybe there is a mix up in communication. But I just can't help but wonder whether or not this has already happened. And if not, why?' Attorney and political commentator Ron Filipkowski said if Maxwell's statements implicate Trump, nothing will come out – but that if it exonerates the president, her sentence will be reduced. 'The truth is in the files, not from Maxwell,' Filipkowski wrote. Blanche still insists that the July 6 joint memo from the DOJ and FBI regarding the Epstein files review 'remains accurate.'
The Independent
21 minutes ago
- The Independent
Starmer raises case of Briton detained in India during meeting with Modi
Sir Keir Starmer is believed to have raised the case of a British man detained in India for years, with the country's prime minister. Prime Minister Sir Keir met Narendra Modi on Thursday as the two countries signed a trade deal It is understood that Sir Keir raised the case of Jagtar Singh Johal, a Sikh activist from Dumbarton near Glasgow, who was arrested while in India for his wedding in 2017. Mr Johal's brother Gurpreet had suggested the meeting was a 'golden' chance for the UK Government to seek to secure his release. Mr Johan is being held in custody by the Indian authorities, despite having been cleared of one of the cases against him earlier this year. He still faces charges at a federal level, which his supporters, who claim an initial confession he made was as a result of torture, fear could take years to come to a conclusion. Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland on Thursday, Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said the issue was 'complex' but the Government was working to resolve it. 'The Government are doing all we possibly can to get this resolved,' he said. 'There was a recent meeting, just at the start of June, between the Foreign Secretary and his counterpart in India to try and get these issues resolved. 'So it's right at the top of the agenda and we can assure and reassure that we're doing everything we possibly can to get these issues resolved as quickly as possible.' Gurpreet Singh Johal, a Labour councillor in West Dunbartonshire, had earlier told BBC Radio Scotland: 'Raising the case is not enough, it's what we've been saying since day one. 'There's a golden opportunity here for the Prime Minister now, prior to the deal being signed or as the deal is being signed, that he strongly calls for Jagtar to be returned to his family so he can continue his married life.' Mr Murray said: 'The call is for these issues to be resolved and we're all fully on the same page in terms of having to get them resolved as quickly as possible.'
Leader Live
21 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Zelensky announces new anti-corruption Bill after public outcry and EU criticism
Opponents of the contentious law passed by politicians and approved by Mr Zelensky earlier this week said that it stripped Ukraine's anti-corruption watchdogs of their independence by granting the government more oversight of their work. Mr Zelensky said it was needed to speed up investigations, ensure more convictions and remove 'Russian influence' from the fight against corruption, though he did not provide examples of Russian meddling. In an abrupt change of course on Thursday, Mr Zelensky unexpectedly said that he had drawn up a new draft Bill on corruption that 'guarantees the real strengthening of the law and order system in Ukraine'. 'The most important thing is real tools, no Russian connections, and the independence of the (watchdogs),' he said in a Telegram post. The declaration appeared to bow to recent pressure that threatened to undermine public trust in Ukraine's leaders after more than three years of fighting Russia's full-scale invasion. The protests have not called for Mr Zelensky ousting, but they are the first major anti-government demonstrations since the war began. 'It is important that we maintain unity,' Mr Zelensky said in his post. The announcement also left some questions unanswered. Mr Zelensky had said on Wednesday that he met the heads of Ukraine's key anti-corruption and security agencies and gave them two weeks to make recommendations on how the graft law could be improved before he presented another Bill to Parliament. It is unclear what becomes of that effort to seek their input. Despite that assurance of new legislation, further street protests were scheduled for Thursday evening. The new pronouncement also left unclear whether Mr Zelensky intended to revoke the law that he approved earlier in the week after Parliament had passed it. He did not publicise details about the proposed new law. The unrest has come at a difficult time in the all-out war, which began on February 24 2022. Russia's bigger army is accelerating its efforts to pierce Ukraine's frontline defences and is escalating its bombardment of Ukrainian cities. Ukraine is also facing a question mark over whether the United States will provide more military aid and whether European commitments can take up the slack, with no end in sight to the war. Delegations from Russia and Ukraine met in Istanbul for a third round of talks in as many months on Wednesday. But once again, the talks were brief and delivered no major breakthrough. Fighting entrenched corruption is crucial for Ukraine's aspirations to join the EU and maintain access to billions of dollars in Western aid in the war. It is also an effort that enjoys broad public support. EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos expressed concern on Wednesday over the new law, calling it 'a serious step back'. The Ukrainian branch of Transparency International criticizsed parliament's decision, saying it undermines one of the most significant reforms since what Ukraine calls its Revolution of Dignity in 2014 and damages trust with international partners. Meanwhile, two women aged 48 and 59 were killed and 14 other people were injured when Russian forces dropped four powerful glide bombs on Kostiantynivka, an industrial city in eastern Ukraine, and shelled it with artillery, Donetsk regional governor Vadym Filashkin said. Russian planes also dropped two glide bombs on the centre of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, on Thursday morning, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said. At least 42 people were wounded, including two babies, a 10-year-old girl and two 17 year olds, authorities said. The southern city of Odesa, and Cherkasy in central Ukraine, were also hit overnight, authorities said. The drone and missile strikes on the cities wounded 11 people, including a nine-year-old, and damaged historic landmarks and residential buildings, officials said. Ukraine has sought to step up its own long-range drone attacks on Russia, using domestic technology and manufacturing. An overnight Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi killed two women and wounded 11 other people, local authorities said Thursday. An oil depot was hit, officials said, without offering details.
