LONDON (AP) — Howard Phillips, a 65-year-old British man who harbored aspirations of emulating the fictional spy James Bond, was convicted on Tuesday for attempting to engage in espionage for Russia. The verdict was delivered by a jury at Winchester Crown Court after a deliberation period of four hours.

Phillips was found guilty of attempting to assist what he believed to be a foreign intelligence agency. He sought to provide sensitive information regarding former Defense Secretary Grant Shapps to two individuals he thought were Russian agents, who were, in fact, undercover officers from British intelligence. The nature of the information he aimed to pass included contact details for Shapps and the location of his private aircraft, information that Phillips believed could potentially benefit Russian surveillance operations targeting British defense plans.

During the trial, the court heard testimony from Phillips' ex-wife, who described his long-standing fascination with espionage. According to her account, Phillips often dreamt of being like James Bond and was deeply engrossed in films about British secret service operations, illustrating his infatuation with the spy genre and its allure.

Bethan David, the head of the Crown Prosecution Service's counterterrorism division, commented on the case post-verdict, emphasizing that this conviction serves as a stern warning to anyone contemplating similar actions for Russia. David characterized Phillips' conduct as “brazen” in his quest for financial reward, indicating a blatant disregard for the potential harm his actions could pose to national security.

Following the verdict, Phillips was remanded into custody and is scheduled to be sentenced in the fall, although a specific date has yet to be determined. The implications of this case underscore the seriousness with which British authorities regard espionage and the protection of national interests.