Brit embassy guard jailed for passing secrets to ‘hostile power’ Putin

A BRITISH embassy guard has been jailed for 13 years after selling secrets to the Kremlin.

Putin fan David Smith, 58, spent three years collecting classified information at the Berlin embassy motivated by a hatred for the West.

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A judge at the Old Bailey said Smith had copied “a significant amount” of material and was “paid by Russia for your treachery”.

Judge Mark Wall also said Smith’s motive had been to “damage British interests”.

He was caught after an MI5 sting operation in 2021.

Cops found a copy of a letter to the Prime Minister from two senior government ministers.

Smith had also passed on details of workers’ identities and activities.

Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC said he had “an extreme hatred of where he works and the United Kingdom in general”.

Scot Smith, from Paisley, claimed he had ­mental health issues and just wanted to embarrass the embassy.

Smith pleaded guilty to eight offences under the Official Secrets Act, including one charge relating to passing information to Russian Military General Major Sergey Chukhrov attached to Berlin, in November 2020.

The seven other charges involved collecting information, which might have been useful to Russia.

Four of which related to an MI5 officer posing as “Dmitry”, a Russian national who was supposedly providing assistance to Britain.

Earlier this week, Smith told the court he was “disgusted with myself and ashamed of what I’ve done” and had started collecting the confidential information during a dispute with colleagues while suffering depression.

He said he filmed the documents after drinking “seven pints of beer”.

He further added: “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

But he said he did not pass the documents on to anyone as “it would be knowingly damaging the UK”.

During sentencing, judge Mark Wall said: “Your mitigation lies solely in your previous good character.

“The credit for that must be limited, as the offending here was so extensive and so serious.

“Your regrets are no more than self pity.”

Prior to the MI5 sting, Smith was dumped by his Ukrainian girlfriend just months before his arrest.

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