Briton convicted of offering to spy for Russia after MI5 sting
Howard Phillips, 65, a former City worker from Harlow, Essex, has been found guilty of attempting to work for Russian intelligence after an undercover MI5 operation exposed his plans.
Phillips, who was struggling financially after retiring at 59, offered to provide information and logistical support to what he believed were Russian agents in exchange for money. In one meeting, he handed over the home address and landline number of then-defence secretary Grant Shapps, who was also his local MP, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
A jury at Winchester Crown Court unanimously found Phillips guilty of assisting what he believed to be agents of Russia’s foreign intelligence service, the SVR, in violation of the National Security Act. He now faces a lengthy prison sentence.
The court heard that Phillips, a divorced father of four, had depleted his savings and sought “easy money” through espionage. He was filmed meeting two undercover officers posing as Russian agents, during which he expressed a desire to gain “financial independence” by working for Moscow.
Phillips was arrested at a coffee shop near King’s Cross station on 16 May 2024.
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