James Bond Fantasist Betrayed Country for Money
A 66-year-old man from Essex, described as a James Bond fantasist, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for attempting to spy for what he believed were Russian intelligence officers. Howard Phillips from Harlow was convicted under the National Security Act after a trial at Winchester Crown Court revealed he had offered to provide personal information about former Defence Secretary Sir Grant Shapps.
Undercover Operation Exposed Treacherous Plot
Phillips believed he was communicating with Russian agents called 'Sasha' and 'Dima', offering them what he described as his '100% loyalty and dedication'. In reality, both individuals were undercover British intelligence officers conducting a sophisticated sting operation. The court heard how Phillips had engaged with the fake Russian agents from late 2023 until May 2024.
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, sentencing Phillips, told him: "You were prepared to betray your country for money. I sentence you on the basis you are not ideologically driven but motivated by money." The judge described Phillips as having 'a personality with narcissistic tendencies and an overblown sense of his own importance'.
Security Breach Put Defence Secretary at Risk
The court heard disturbing details about the information Phillips was prepared to share. He offered to provide Sir Grant Shapps' contact details and even the location where he kept his private plane, potentially enabling foreign agents to monitor British defence plans.
In a victim impact statement, Sir Grant expressed his shock at discovering Phillips' activities, particularly given their previous acquaintance. "I feel it has been a complete breach of trust by Mr Phillips," Sir Grant stated. "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."
Prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward KC revealed that Phillips had been motivated by financial desperation, having lived beyond his means and made no provision for retirement. The court heard he had even been living in his car at one point.
Defence barrister Jeremy Dein KC described his client as a "fantasist" who had made a "monumental error of judgment". Phillips' ex-wife told the court he 'would dream about being like James Bond' and was infatuated with spy films.
Commander Dominic Murphy of Counter Terrorism Policing London issued a stark warning after the case: "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." Security minister Dan Jarvis added that the National Security Act provides essential tools to "detect, disrupt, and deter modern threats to the UK".
