CPS
Howard Phillips’s ex-wife told his trial that he had dreams of being like James Bond and was “infatuated” with MI5 and MI6
A British man who jurors were told “dreamt about being like James Bond” has been jailed for seven years after trying to spy for Russia.
Howard Phillips, from Harlow, Essex, wanted to pass on personal information about former Defence Secretary Sir Grant Shapps.
The Conservative MP recalled going to Mr Phillips’s house after moving to a new home in 2002.
Phillips, 66, was found guilty of assisting a foreign intelligence service under the National Security Act and was sentenced at Winchester Crown Court in Hampshire.
“You were prepared to betray your country for money,” said Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb.
“You took a grave risk and didn’t care what damage you caused.
“Through the deliberate work of the security services you were caught before providing material assistance to a foreign intelligence service so the danger was averted.”
She said he was being sentenced on the basis he was not “ideologically driven but motivated by money”.
His trial earlier this year was told he applied for a job with UK Border Force in October 2023, which prosecutors said was part of his bid to assist Russia.
Phillips offered to help two agents who he thought were from the country’s intelligence service, but who were actually undercover British intelligence officers.
His ex-wife told his trial earlier this year he “would dream about being like James Bond” and watched films about MI5 and MI6 as he was “infatuated with it”.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, Sir Grant said he was “shocked” about the defendant’s plans and said he was concerned for his family’s safety.
Sir Grant recalled going to dinner at Phillips’s home in 2002, before he became MP for Welwyn Hatfield in Hertfordshire.
“I feel it has been a complete breach of trust by Mr Phillips,” said Sir Grant.
“He chose to take whatever information he had and attempted to sell it to a foreign intelligence service thereby, wantonly, putting myself, my family and ultimately the country at risk.
“My personal details provided by Mr Phillips are extremely sensitive and again I would say that any disclosure places myself and my family at a very real and serious risk.”
He said it was “shocking” to find that someone “in the neighbourhood” would think it a good idea to sell information about the UK defence secretary to an “unfriendly foreign state”.
