A British security guard has confessed to espionage on behalf of Russia at the British embassy in Berlin, citing an intense hatred for his nation as the motivation.
Last year, 58-year-old David Ballantyne Smith pled guilty to eight charges but returned to court to argue his motivation. Smith is alleged to have received money in exchange for information, but he asserts that he was not compensated and was motivated by a workplace dispute and mental health issues.
Smith began working at the embassy in 2016, but his behaviour changed in late 2018 after his wife returned to Ukraine. Alison Morgan KC, the prosecutor, stated that Smith went from being “friendly and courteous” to expressing anti-British and anti-German views. He also expressed opinions regarding the conflict in Ukraine, supported Russia, and amassed German uniforms from World War II.
Smith began collecting and storing classified information from the embassy on a USB stick around 2018. After examining his devices, embassy footage and a draught letter to a Russian military attache dated 14 May 2020 were discovered. The British counter-terrorism police responded with a covert operation.
An undercover agent posed as a member of the Russian intelligence service and offered Smith the opportunity to obtain “highly sensitive information” about “Dmitry.” In August 2021, he was arrested after approximately £700 in cash was discovered in his Potsdam, Germany, home.
Smith could be sentenced to a maximum of 14 years in prison on Friday.
A British security guard pleaded guilty to eight counts of espionage for the Russian government at the British embassy in Berlin. 58-year-old David Ballantyne Smith is alleged to have been motivated by an intense hatred for his country, a workplace dispute, and mental health issues.
Smith had worked at the embassy since 2016, but his behaviour changed in late 2018 after his wife returned to her native Ukraine. He grew increasingly anti-British and anti-German, expressing opinions on the Ukraine conflict and supporting Russia. Additionally, he started collecting German uniforms from World War II.
Smith began collecting classified information from the embassy around 2018 and storing it on a USB stick. An examination of his devices revealed his activities when a draught letter to a Russian military attaché was discovered. This prompted the British counter-terrorism police to launch an investigation, which included an undercover operation in which Smith was offered the opportunity to obtain “highly sensitive information.”
He was arrested in August 2021 after approximately £700 in cash was discovered in his Potsdam, Germany, residence. Smith could be sentenced to a maximum of 14 years in prison on Friday.
