A man was found guilty to assist with foreign intelligence services after handing over personal details of then-Defense Minister Grant Shapps to two secret officials he believed were Russian agents.
Howard Phillips, 65, was convicted at Winchester Crown Court when jurors heard him provide services to undercover officials, known as Dima and Sasha.
The trial learned that Phillips, from Harlow, of Essex, handed a USB stick with details related to Shapps, including his home address and the location of the private jet, one of the officials. He told the jury that he was Jewish and met Sharps at the synagogue in the synagogue, a local councillor in the Welwyn Hatfield constituency.
Phillips told the forged Russian agent that he was retired and working in bankruptcy that he was arrested in May 2024 and charged under the National Security Act.
Wearing a dark suit and tie, he shook his head silently, and after four hours and four minutes of deliberation, the jury made a unanimous judgment. Judge Cheema-Grubb remanded Phillips in custody and held the sentence until the “earliest date available” in the fall.
Speaking to The Guardian, Shapps said: “In addition to the threat to my own family, a foreign adversary has undermined our national security and endangered those who serve and the wider public.
“People who play a role in roles like the Defense Minister mean living with the territory in the face of hostile countries like Russia. However, the additional threat from someone in the local community who seeks to help our opponents is both dangerous and wrong.
“Today’s judgment made it clear: if you intersect with hostile power, thus endangering your life in Britain, you will face justice.”
Phillips struggled financially and applied for jobs in the British border forces when undercover officials contacted. He wrote to the Russian Embassy, which provided the service.
In March 2024, when the job application was broadcast live and a pre-employment check was conducted, Phillips exchanged emails with the undercover staff, deeming them Russian intelligence personnel.
The jury learned that Sasha and Dima communicated with Phillips through whatsapp, but the defendant would not disclose what he had to offer unless they met in person.
Phillips puts the USB stick into the bike axle. Photo: Metropolitan Police
Phillips agreed to provide documentation on the USB stick, explaining that he could place it on exposed seat axles on Polygon Road in St Pancras and Euston, London.
Close-up of the USB stick is put down. Photo: Metropolitan Police
He entered a short paragraph outlining what he could provide. It reads: “It is invaluable for foreign entities if foreign power is outside, completely hidden, completely secret, can be easily moved on any level and can be fully integrated into local citizens or tourists in any world location.
“Then add a valid government security review pass. This way a person can move under the radar, eliminating all the doubts that they can move and travel anytime, anywhere, without asking any questions, they just avoid doubt.
“Think now, this person can act locally in a short time to facilitate the collection of a surgical staff from any port of entry, provide them with a safe harbor, travel, assist and return them to designated locations that were not found, without anyone asking any questions despite the establishment of the company and the procurement of assets; it is priceless.”
Howard Phillips meets undercover agents – Video
On April 26, 2024, Phillips met with undercover staff at the London Bridge Hotel, who revealed his name and told them that he was able to provide logistical support and would soon obtain a security permit through the Home Office.
In May, undercover staff met with Phillips at a Costa Coffee in West Thurrock, where he told them he could provide them with personal details about Shapps. The court told the court that the fake Russian agents were told that he had a task of booking a hotel in London, buying a cell phone, and setting up a fake email address to facilitate a “sensitive meeting” of senior Russian Intelligence Agency officials.
The defendant received £500 in cash to help with his phone and hotel reservations and booked the hotel later that night. On May 16, 2024, Phillips met Sasha and handed over his phone and a USB stick with the details of the Shapps.
Howard Phillips
After receiving further instructions, he took an envelope containing £1,000 cash after meeting a man named Nikolai Anatolevich Yakovlev in a nearby cafe. Later that day, plainclothes officers entered the coffee shop and arrested Phillips.
In court, he claimed that he had been trying to “expose” Russian agents and hoped to pass information on Russian spies to Israel because he believed it would “benefit” the country. He also sent letters to the Iranian and Chinese embassies in March 2024.
When asked about his opinion of Britain, he said: “I love Britain…I will never do anything that could hurt the country – never.”
Phillips said he had met Shapps four times after meeting at the Ceramic Bar Synagogue in Hertfordshire. He said he “socialized” with Shapps at the home of the then-MP, following “dinner and invitations”.
The defendant's ex-wife, Amanda Phillips, told the court during the trial that he “dreamed like James Bond” and that he was watching movies related to MI5 and MI6 because he was “infatuated with it.”
Prosecutors said his conviction warned others who were considering doing so.
Bethan David, head of the Counter-Terrorism Division of the Royal Prosecutor Services, said: “Howard Phillips clearly outlines the services he is willing to provide for hostile states. From getting employment in a civil servant and applying for a security permit to apply for a security scope for the Department of Defense’s personal details – Phillips for Phillips has provided victory for his own business to seek his own business, and for the business of the people who are in the future.