GUILTY UK - David Smith, British Embassy security guard suspected of spying for Russia, Apr 2022

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British Embassy security guard suspected of spying for Russia extradited to UK


David Ballantyne Smith, 57, a British national who was living in Potsdam, Germany, is charged with nine offences under the Official Secrets Act 1911.

“He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 7 April.

“The alleged offences were committed between October 2020 and August 2021.

“Smith, who was employed as a security guard at the British Embassy in Berlin, was extradited back to the UK from Germany on Wednesday, 6 April following his arrest by German police on 10 August 2021.

 

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David Smith, 57 year old former security guard at embassy in Berlin pleaded not guilty to 9 charges today. They included trying to contact the Russian military attache in Berlin to pass information about the activities and identities of UK officials.

The court also heard him plead not guilty to a series of charges that he collected information that was "intended to be useful to an enemy" - "namely the Russian state"
https://twitter.com/gordoncorera/status/1512046343900082177?s=21&t=hfcprF8QHQkP9qcTRioEgw

 

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Photo of him David Smith: embassy guard in court on Russia spy charges | News | The Times

British embassy security guard suspected of being Russian spy pleads not guilty to nine charges

 

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During his appearance Smith spoke only to give his full name, age and address, and to submit his plea of not guilty.

The court heard the charges included the allegation that Smith tried to communicate by letter with Gen Maj Sergey Chukhurov, a Russian military person based in the Russian embassy in Berlin.

The court was told the material in the letter allegedly contained “details about the activities, identities, addresses and telephone numbers of various members of Her Majesty’s civil service”, in breach of the Official Secrets Act.

Regarding the other eight charges, Smith is accused of committing acts “prejudicial” to the safety and interest of the state by gathering information classified as “secret” about the “activities of Her Majesty’s government” and that he “collected material relating to the operation and layout of the British embassy in Berlin, and that information was calculated to be or might be or was intended to be directly or be indirectly useful to an enemy, namely the Russian state”.


He is also alleged to have made unauthorised photocopies of documents, video recordings of the embassy’s CCTV system and kept sim card packaging he had been asked to dispose of.

Smith also allegedly communicated information about building repairs at the embassy after being “approached by a person you believed to be a member of Russian military intelligence (the GRU)”.

All charges carry a maximum sentence of 14 years.

UK embassy guard gave secrets to Russian general, court told

 

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On Wednesday, Smith appeared before the Old Bailey by video link from Belmarsh high-security jail. Wearing a green shirt and blue jeans, he spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth before a timetable for the case was set.

Mr Justice Sweeney said a trial would take place from 13 February next year at the Old Bailey. It will be heard by a high court judge and will take up to four weeks. A plea and case management hearing was set for 29 July. After the brief hearing, Smith was remanded into custody.

Briton accused of spying for Russia at Berlin embassy to be tried at Old Bailey

 

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British security guard who gave secrets to Russia pleads guilty

David Ballantyne Smith was arrested by German police near his home in Potsdam in August last year.

www.express.co.uk

UK hating' British security guard who gave secrets to Russia pleads guilty to spy charges​