A 66-year-old British man with a fascination for espionage resembling James Bond was sentenced to seven years in prison on Friday for attempting to spy for Russia. Howard Phillips was convicted in July for trying to provide information about former defense secretary Grant Shapps to individuals he believed were Russian intelligence agents, who turned out to be undercover British agents.
During the sentencing at Winchester Crown Court in southern England, Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb criticized Phillips for being willing to betray his country for financial gain. The judge described Phillips as having a narcissistic personality with an inflated sense of self-importance.
According to court proceedings, Phillips planned to aid Russian agents between late 2023 and May 2024, a period that coincided with Shapps’ tenure as defense secretary before losing his seat in Parliament during the general election.
Phillips attempted to disclose Shapps’ contact information and the location of his private plane to facilitate Russian eavesdropping on British defense strategies, as revealed in the trial. His ex-wife testified in court that Phillips aspired to emulate James Bond and was captivated by British intelligence films.
In a statement presented to the court, Shapps expressed shock over Phillips’ actions, emphasizing the grave risks his family faced due to foreign intelligence activities. Bethan David, from the Crown Prosecution Service’s Counter Terrorism Division, highlighted the significance of Phillips’ conviction as a deterrent against espionage activities in support of Russia.