Friday, February 17, 2023, 1:41 p.m.
A former guard at the UK 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 jail. The case dates back to 2021, when David Smith, 58, was arrested after two undercover agents posed as a member of the Intelligence services and a Russian defector who offered “very sensitive information.” Police later confirmed that Smith had secret documents in his possession, including messages to then UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Smith has admitted to colluding with Moscow and his animosity towards London. According to the authorities, he began collecting documentation in 2018 and investigators found him in November 2020, after tracking down a letter sent to a Russian diplomat.
The former guard had already pleaded guilty to eight crimes related to the Official Secrets Law. Although his sentence of 13 years and two months in prison is known, it is not certain how long he will spend behind bars waiting to confirm where he will serve this sentence.
The judge has confirmed the “anti-British and anti-Western sentiments” of the now convicted person and has warned that, with the information that was passed to Russia, he put the staff of the Embassy for which he worked “at maximum risk”. The defendant argued that he only wanted to “annoy and embarrass” his colleagues, also alleging that he suffered from depression.
Prosecutor Nick Price has stressed after the ruling that the crimes “are an attack” against the United Kingdom and “could have put national security at risk.” In this sense, he has indicated that Smith’s actions “were not motivated only by money and greed”, but that there was a political background behind it.