Man jailed for offering to spy for Russia

A man from Essex has been jailed for seven years for offering to spy for the Russian Intelligence Service.

Howard Phillips was arrested after a number of interactions with undercover officers who he believed were Russian agents.

In the meetings, Phillips offered to hand over personal details of a former cabinet minister and provide logistical support to Russian espionage activities.

Phillips was arrested by officers from the Counter Terrorism Command on 16 May, 2024 in central London. He had travelled there for a meeting with two people he believed to be Russian agents, but were in fact undercover officers.

Over emails, face-to-face meetings and social media messages, the undercover officers saw how Phillips was eager to help the Russian Intelligence Service in return for payment.

He handed over personal details of the then defence secretary, who was his MP.

Phillips also told the officers that he had recently applied for a job at UK Border Force and was in the process of applying for Home Office security clearance for that role.

He was charged in May 2024 with an offence under section 3 of the National Security Act (NSA), 2023.

After a two-week trial, he was convicted in July.

He has now been sentenced to seven year 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.”