A security guard at the British embassy in Berlin accused of spying for Russia allegedly passed “secret” information about the government to a Russian military attache, a court heard.
David Smith, 57, denied nine offences under the Official Secrets Act when he appeared at Westminster magistrates court on Thursday.
The Briton, who was living in Potsdam in the German capital, is accused of gathering information from the embassy and passing it to someone he believed was a representative of the Russian state, as well as other alleged offences, between October 2020 and August last year.
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.
Smith was denied bail and remanded in custody. He was extradited to the UK from Germany on Wednesday after his arrest by German police on 10 August 2021. Scotland Yard said the investigation was led by counter-terrorism officers.
Nick Price, the head of the special crime and counter-terrorism division at the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “David Smith has been charged with nine offences contrary to the Official Secrets Act.
“He is accused of seven offences of collecting information with the intent of sending it to the Russian authorities, one of attempting communication, and one of providing information to a person he believed was a member of the Russian authorities.
“After reviewing the case and authorising charges, we obtained an extradition warrant and worked closely with our German counterparts in order to bring Mr Smith back to the UK.”
