Howard Phillips, 66, handed over personal details of former Defence Secretary Grant Shapps
A wannabe Russian spy has been jailed after meeting with undercover Metropolitan Police officers he thought were foreign agents. Howard Phillips, aged 66 from Harlow in Essex, offered to hand over personal details of a former cabinet minister and provide logistical support to Russian espionage activities.
Last year Phillips had sent a series of emails and social media messages to the undercover police officers before meeting them face to face on multiple occasions. They observed his eagerness to help the Russian Intelligence Service in return for payment.
In a later trial at Winchester Crown Court the jury heard Phillips handed over personal details of former Defence Secretary Grant Shapps. The 66-year-old had met the minister, who was his local MP at the time, and visited his house.
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.”
Police eventually pulled the plug on the undercover operation on May 16, 2024 when Phillips was arrested by the Counter Terrorism Command. A week later he was charged with an offence under section 3 of the National Security Act.
He was convicted following a trial at Winchester Crown Court on July 22. He was sentenced at the same court on Thursday, November 6 to seven years in prison.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said: “This case demonstrates the serious consequences for anyone who thinks working on behalf of the Russian intelligence service is a way of earning easy money. As shown by the recent conviction of Dylan Earl and Jake Reeves, we are making full use of the National Security Act, to ensure those who act against the interests of our country are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
“The truth is, those who work as ‘proxies for Russia are unlikely to receive a large cash windfall. In fact, there is a strong likelihood they won’t be given any money at all. However, what they are doing is risking their liberty for a long period of time. As this case shows, those convicted under the National Security Act can expect to receive lengthy prison sentences.”
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