London, Jul 22 (AP) - A 65-year-old British man, Howard Phillips, who harbored aspirations of living a life akin to iconic fictional spy James Bond, was found guilty on Tuesday of attempting to conduct espionage for Russia.
Phillips endeavored to provide information about former Defence Secretary Grant Shapps to individuals he believed to be Russian operatives. However, unbeknownst to him, these individuals were in fact undercover agents from British intelligence.
The verdict was handed down by a jury at Winchester Crown Court, which declared Phillips guilty of aiding what he thought was a foreign intelligence service. This unanimous decision was reached after four hours of jury deliberations.
Following his conviction, Phillips was taken into custody. His sentencing is expected to take place in the fall, although a specific date has not yet been confirmed.
Prosecutors revealed that Phillips offered to provide access to Shapps' contact information along with the location of his private plane. This was allegedly to aid the Russians in eavesdropping on British defense strategies.
In court, Phillips’ ex-wife testified that he had an obsession with the idea of emulating James Bond, often indulging in films centered around the British secret services.
Bethan David, head of the Crown Prosecution Service's counterterrorism division, stressed that the conviction conveys a strong warning to those contemplating espionage for Russia.
"Phillips was brazenly pursuing financial gain without a care for the potential harm to his own nation," David remarked. (AP) SCY SCY
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