A former security guard at the British Embassy in Berlin was sentenced to more than 13 years in prison at the Old Bailey in London after being caught spying for Russia
Judge Mark Wall said 58-year-old David Ballantyne Smith had collected information from the British embassy “by stealth” between 2018 and 2021, some of which was clearly marked as “secret.” He then sold the information to Russia as part of an “ongoing” relationship. “I am sure that you committed these crimes intending to assist Russia… Your motive in assisting them was to damage British interests,” the judge said, according to Reuters. “You were paid by the Russians for your treachery.
According to the news agency, Smith sent two letters to Russian Embassy officials in 2020, with one of them revealing the identity of a diplomat who had worked in Russia. The second letter sent in November 2020 was traced back to Smith, prompting police to launch an investigation. Smith was being paid by Russia in exchange for providing the secret information, the judge ruled, telling him that he had copied a “significant amount of material” during his time at the embassy.
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