Overview

• Phillips was charged under the National Security Act 2023 after offering to pass sensitive information on former defence minister Grant Shapps to agents he believed were working for Russia.
• A Winchester Crown Court jury reached a unanimous guilty verdict on July 22, 2025, following a two-week trial and just four hours of deliberation.
• Undercover MI5 officers posing as Russian operatives codenamed “Sasha” and “Dima” orchestrated a sting that included recovering a USB stick containing ministerial data and logistical plans.
• Prosecutors told the court that financial reward, rather than ideological sympathy, drove Phillips’s pursuit of “easy money” in exchange for espionage services.
• Sentencing has been adjourned to autumn 2025, with Phillips held in custody as UK security services reinforce deterrence against foreign intelligence breaches.