US EditionMan accused of assisting Russia ‘planned to pass on Grant Shapps information’
UNITED KINGDOM, JUL 9 – Howard Phillips, motivated by financial gain, allegedly offered personal information about former defence secretary Grant Shapps and logistical support to undercover officers posing as Russian agents.
- Howard Phillips, 65, from Harlow, faced trial starting July 9 at Winchester Crown Court for allegedly offering former defence secretary Grant Shapps' personal information to people he believed were Russian agents.
- Phillips applied for a part-time Border Force role in October 2023 and began communicating by email and WhatsApp with undercover officers named Dima and Sasha by March 2024, whom he thought were Russian intelligence operatives.
- He created a document with Shapps' home address, phone number, and private plane details, left it on a USB hidden on a bicycle in London in April 2024, and offered logistical support like transport and hotel bookings.
- Prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward KC said Phillips was motivated by financial gain, calling himself "semi-retired but with connections in high places" and wanting to be "financially independent from the UK," while denying knowledge that the agents were role players.
- Phillips denies the charge under the National Security Act, though prosecutors cautioned that his actions might have led to severe repercussions; the trial is anticipated to continue for up to three weeks.
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UK man on trial accused of offering minister's information to Russian spies
A British man offered personal information about former defence minister Grant Shapps to Russian intelligence for money, prosecutors said on Wednesday at the start of his trial for a National Security Act offence.
·United Kingdom
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Daily MirrorReposted by 
The Business Times
The Business TimesMan accused of spying 'tried to give Russians information about Tory MP'
Howard Michael Phillips, 65, is standing trial at Winchester crown court for allegedly trying to pass information to Russia’s foreign intelligence service
·London, United Kingdom
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Leaning Left4Leaning Right3Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution36% Left, 36% Center
Bias Distribution
- 36% of the sources lean Left, 36% of the sources are Center
36% Center
L 36%
C 36%
R 27%
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