David Ballantyne Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born | Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland |
| Military career | |
| Service |  Royal Air Force |
David Ballantyne Smith is a British former security guard who was convicted of espionage on behalf of Russia.
David Ballantyne Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born | Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland |
| Military career | |
| Service | Royal Air Force |
David Ballantyne Smith is a British former security guard who was convicted of espionage on behalf of Russia.
David Ballantyne Smith was born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland. [1] Smith enlisted in the Royal Air Force in 1985 and served for 12 years which included a posting to the former Fighter Command headquarters at Bentley Priory. [1] After leaving the RAF, he moved to Crawley, West Sussex and took a job as a flight auditor at Gatwick Airport, before leaving to work as a flight attendant, a position he kept until 2002. [1]
Smith pleaded guilty to eight offences under the Official Secrets Act on 4 November 2022. [2] He was sentenced to 13 years and two months' imprisonment. [3]
Following Smith's convictions, the Foreign Office carried out a security review of every member of embassy staff at a cost of £825,000. [3]
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