U.K. jury finds man, who dreamt of being James Bond, guilty of attempting to spy for Russia

A British man who dreamt of being like James Bond was convicted on Tuesday (July 22, 2025) of attempting to spy for Russia.

Howard Phillips, 65, sought to pass information about former Defence Secretary Grant Shapps to two men he believed were Russian agents. However, the agents were undercover British intelligence agents.

A jury at Winchester Crown Court found Phillips guilty of assisting what he believed to be a foreign intelligence agency. The unanimous verdict came after four hours of deliberations.

He was remanded into custody and will be sentenced in the fall. No precise date was set.

Prosecutors said Phillips offered to turn over Shapps’ contact details as well as the location where he kept his private plane to “facilitate the Russians in listening on British defence plans”.

The defendant’s ex-wife told the court that Phillips “would dream about being like James Bond,” and watched films about the British secret services because he was “infatuated with it”.

Bethan David, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s counterterrorism division, said the conviction sends a clear message to anyone considering spying for Russia.

“Phillips was brazen in his pursuit for financial gain, and unbothered about the potential detriment to his own country,” Mr. David said.