David Ballantyne Smith, during his meeting with “Irina”
(Picture: PA Media)A security guard caught spying for Russia had filmed a video inside the British embassy in Berlin identifying officials and their families, just as President Putin’s troops were amassing on the border with Ukraine, the Old Bailey heard.
David Ballantyne Smith, 58, passed information to Russian intelligence agents and amassed a collection of sensitive pictures, videos, and documents between 2018 and 2021.
Prosecutors say Smith was a paid Russian spy with a handler directing him to collect useful intelligence, but Smith, a former RAF officer, insists he only ever intended to “embarrass” embassy bosses about security flaws and did not have a Russian spymaster.
At court on Wednesday, Smith faced claims he had put embassy staff “in danger” and received substantial sums of money for his intelligence.
Questioning Smith, prosecutor Alison Morgan KC highlighted a video he shot inside the embassy in June 2021, just as Russian troops were gathering on the Ukrainian border in the same region where Smith’s wife lives.
“You filmed the name plaque on the door”, she said, of the footage. “When you have done that, you go into the room and you film the outside space out of the window of that room.
“The purpose is to show someone who might look at that video ‘here’s the name, and here’s the precise geographical location of their office in the building’.”
Smith says he shot the late-night video with a GoPro “on a whim” after drinking beer, and when asked to explain focuses in the footage, he replied: “I was under the influence, I’m sorry, I can’t answer that.”
Ms Morgan said Smith is seen “rifling through the drawers” and pointing on a whiteboard to particular names.
“Those names are not accidental drunken choices”, said the prosecutor.
“You zoomed in on personal photographs on people’s desks, showing them with family members and friends.
“You were filming everything someone would need to identify that person, know of their relations, know where their office is located, know telephone numbers. You were being told to do that.”
Smith accepts the contents of the footage but replied: “I wasn’t being told by anyone.”
“When you talk about shame and guilt and feeling sorry, do you want to tell the authorities who it was that was directing you to film this video?” asked Ms Morgan.
Smith replied: “No one at all.”
Turning to the political system at the time the footage was created, she said: “The Russian forces were gathering on the border of Ukraine, weren’t they?
“They were gathering on the border in the very area where your wife lives.”
Smith, who has admitted eight charges under the Official Secrets Act, had made copies of a book containing personal details of embassy staff in 2018.
Copies of the book, together with other photographs, were stored on a USB stick at his home marked ‘Berlin holiday pics’.
When Smith insisted he had not read the contents of the book, Ms Morgan pointed out he had “zoomed in the camera to all the particular details of the individuals concerns with the defence section - the office manager, the mobile number of that individual, dates of deployment, and their email address.
“It was the Russian page you focused on”, she said.
Smith replied: “If that’s what it says, yes, I don’t remember. It was a long time ago.”
Ms Morgan continued: “Back in 2018, you were capable of finding a book like this, opening it to the Russian page and focusing in on every detail that would highlight who the Russian focused individuals were. That’s in 2018.”
Smith replied: “Yes, it is, and I’ve done nothing with it. I did do it on a whim.”
Smith denies receiving money for leaking information to Russia, and insists crisp 100 euro notes found in his flat after his arrest came from the sale of military memorabilia, including Nazi uniforms.
Mr Justice Wall is overseeing a hearing to determine the level of Smith’s offending and his involvement with the Russians.
He is due to pass sentence on Friday.
