65-year-old Briton found guilty of attempting to spy for Russia A UK court has found Howard Phillips guilty of attempting to pass sensitive information about the British Defence Minister to Russian intelligence. Phillips believed he was in contact with Russian agents, but was actually dealing with undercover British counterintelligence officers. In October 2023, he tried to get a job with the UK Border Force - prosecutors say he intended to gain access to information that might interest Russia. In March 2024, he was contacted by individuals claiming to be Russian agents, "Sasha" and "Dima." They asked him to detail what he could offer and why, and to hide a USB stick with the information inside a bicycle left on a London street. According to court testimony, the USB contained a document in which Phillips described himself as a "very valuable asset" and pledged "100% loyalty and commitment to the work."