David Smith, 58, was caught with sensitive information, including documents belonging to then Prime Minister Boris Johnson
A former guard at the British embassy in Germany, who was accused of selling confidential information to Russia before the invasion of Ukraine, has been sentenced to more than 13 years in prison. The case dates back to 2021, when 58-year-old David Smith was arrested after two undercover agents posing as members of the intelligence community and a Russian defector who offered “highly sensitive information”. Police later confirmed that Smith had classified documents in his possession, including messages to then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Smith has admitted collaborating with Moscow and his animosity towards London. According to authorities, he began collecting documentation in 2018 and investigators found him in November 2020, after tracking down a letter to a Russian diplomat.
The former guard had already pleaded guilty to eight crimes related to the Official Secrets Act. Although his sentence of 13 years and two months in prison is known, it is not certain how long he will spend behind bars pending confirmation of where he will serve this sentence.
The judge has confirmed the now-convicted’s “anti-British and anti-Western feelings” and warned that with the information passed to Russia, he was putting “maximum risk” on the staff of the embassy he worked for. . The defendant argued that he only wanted to “annoy and embarrass” his colleagues, and also claimed that he suffered from depression.
Prosecutor Nick Price stressed after the verdict that the crimes “are an attack” against the United Kingdom and “could have endangered national security”. In this sense, he has indicated that Smith’s actions were “not just motivated by money and greed”, but that there was a political background behind them.
Source: La Verdad
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