A man from Harlow who wanted to be a Russian spy has been convicted of a National Security Act offence. The investigation, led by the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, found that Howard Phillips, 65, of Harlow, was willing to provide personal details of a former cabinet minister and provide logistical support for Russian espionage activities.
He was arrested after he interacted with undercover officers he thought were Russian agents. Detective Chief Superintendent Helen Flanagan, head of operations for the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, 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.”
A jury at Winchester Crown Court heard that Phillips was arrested by officers from the Counter Terrorism Command on May 16, 2024, in central London. He had travelled to the capital for a meeting with ‘two Russian agents, who were in fact undercover police officers.
In a series of emails, social media messages and face-to-face meetings, the undercover officers observed Phillips’s eagerness to help the Russian Intelligence Service in return for payment. The jury heard Phillips handed over personal details of the UK’s Secretary of State for Defence at the time – the two had met when the minister was Phillips’ local MP.
Phillips also told the undercover officers that he recently applied for a job at UK Border Force and was in the process of applying for Home Office security clearance for that role. In a document saved on a USB drive he handed to the officers, Phillips said he could be someone who could ‘move undetected and travel anywhere at any time, no questions asked’ and ‘avoid suspicion’.
Following his arrest, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) authorised charges against Phillips and he was charged on May 23, 2024, with an offence under section 3 of the National Security Act (NSA), 2023. After a two-week trial, he was convicted of this offence on July 22. He will be sentenced on a later date.
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