Man accused of plot to share Shapps details says he wanted to ‘expose’ Russian spies

Howard Phillips tells court he hoped to trap' agents by offering information about the then defence secretary

A man accused of attempting to hand over the personal details of the then defence secretary, Grant Shapps, to Russian intelligence officers has told a court he was actually trying to expose" the agents.

Howard Phillips, 65, was charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service after passing a USB stick containing details relating to Shapps including his home address and the location of his private plane to undercover officers, who prosecutors say he believed to be Russian spies. He previously pleaded not guilty to the charge.