British Embassy Guard Who Spied for Russia Jailed for 13 Years

Judge tells David Smith he has shown 'self-pity' and not remorse

Undated image of David Smith, who admitted breaching the Official Secrets Act while working at the British Embassy in Berlin and was jailed on Feb. 17, 2023. Metropolitan Police

LONDON—A security guard at the British Embassy in Berlin who spied for Russia has been jailed for 13 years and two months by a judge who said his actions were, “intended to damage British interests.”

David Ballantyne Smith, who formerly served in the Royal Air Force, pleaded guilty in November to eight counts of breaching the Official Secrets Act by “committing an act prejudicial to the safety or interests of the state.”