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‘Naive’ MI6 worker who tried to sell names of British spies walks free
Paul Cheston, Courts Correspondent3 Sep 2010
A former MI6 worker who tried to sell a secret list of British agents for £900,000 walked free from the Old Bailey today.
Daniel Houghton, 25, contacted the Dutch secret service and handed over two lists as well as information about British spying capability.
In a “personal betrayal” of his former colleagues, one list contained details of 387 named operatives and the second 39 names and mobile phone numbers, the court heard.
The Dutch tipped off the British and, after a bugged meeting at a central London hotel, Houghton was arrested with the money telling police: “You have got the wrong man.”
Today the court was told that the disclosure of the secret list had damaged morale at MI6 and Britain's intelligence credibility abroad.
Houghton pleaded guilty to two offences under the 1989 Official Secrets Act, which carry a maximum prison sentence of two years. He was given 12 months by Mr Justice Bean but because he has already served 184 days in custody since his arrest he was released.
The judge described Houghton, from Hackney, as “a strange young man”.
He added: “You were employed by the secret intelligence service and attempted to sell secret material for very large sums of money, in particular secret lists which would have disclosed the identities and whereabouts of agents.
“Their identities must be protected almost at all costs. If this material had fallen into the hands of a hostile power it would have caused enormous damage and put lives at risk.”
Houghton, who has British and Dutch nationality, had been employed as a £23,000-a-year software engineer by MI6 for two years until May last year. He had claimed to have been hearing voices but the judge ruled this did not influence or diminish his responsibility for his treachery.
His counsel, David Perry QC, described him as “naive, awkward, isolationist”. Houghton's plan was incompetently executed almost with the intention of being discovered.
A security services source claimed he was motivated by greed as he was living a “champagne lifestyle on ginger beer wages”.
Reader views (18)
At one time a traitor would get the death sentence, or 30 years in Jail, now it seems the Law of this country has gone soft.
- stan white, leeds uk, 06/09/2010 09:13
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'Listen, do you want to know a secret, do you promise not to tell.....oh oh closer..'
- Richard Merrell, Wentworth Falls, NSW Australia, 05/09/2010 03:57
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1. How is an operative download able to download the database without there being sufficient control measures in place
2. Why wasn't this detected by the internal security department
3. What preventative and corrective actions have been put into place to stop a reoccurrence
4. If SIS can't protect itself & it's staff, clearly the only deterrent is the legal system, which also appears to have failed us
5. The sentence is too light. The convicted person had the intention to sell the database in return for monetary gain. Greed is the word!. He should serve at least 5 years in prison, which with our system means he would need a sentence of 15 years
The whole situation is unsatisfactory and unacceptable! Do you really think the Russian's would allow this???
- Tony, Singapore, 04/09/2010 21:17
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To be a traitor is not a crime but to be admired in modern Britain,look at judges, MPs , they gave our country away, what bigger crime is there
- Peter Woods, Torre Chianca, 04/09/2010 15:49
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A rather misleading headline as he was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and had already served the appropriate length of time on remand. He still has a criminal record etc.
- Bleeding Heart Liberal, London, 04/09/2010 13:37
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It looks like the Official Secrets Act is just a waste
of time now
- Richard, Rayleigh, 04/09/2010 12:48
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There was a documentary on human trafficking on ITV the other night, it took three years to complete the investigation and all the traffickers got for forcing Thai women into prostitution and abusing them was four years in our stupid criminal justice system. In Thailand we were told that the same offense carried a twenty year jail sentence. I'm seriously thinking of turning to crime as a next career move.
- James Kaster, London, England, 04/09/2010 12:16
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We don't to hanging, unfortunately, but this "strange" little creep needs locking up for a very long time with some of the chaps.
- Ted, Orkney, 04/09/2010 10:17
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007 is not pleased
- Richard Merrell, Wentworth Falls, NSW Australia, 04/09/2010 01:03
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To betray one's country must be the ultimate crime, because it affects so many people - if not the whole population. Do the judges ever think of this point? It appears unlikely as the sentence suggests. Even the 'maximum' sentence of his two offences 'under the Official Secrets Act' carry a maximum of 2 years! Are laws concerning these types of crimes crazy?
- Ted Baring, London, 03/09/2010 22:13
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I spy with my little eye a word abbreviated as BS.
- Richard Merrell, Wentworth Falls, NSW Australia, 03/09/2010 21:27
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"...He was given 12 months by Mr Justice Bean but because he has already served 184 days in custody since his arrest he was released..."
I'm pretty sure there are 365 days in 12 months, NOT 184!
But even if he had a served a full year, is that really enough when what he was doing, for personal greed, not only could've undermined the security operations of the country, but also put lives in serious danger?
This court judgement, like so many nowadays, is unfathomable on so many levels! What are these judges on, for heaven's sake?
- Paul, London, UK, 03/09/2010 18:25
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The most important question is how and why was he recruited as he is clearly a flake and untrustworthy. The SIS need to review their procedures..............again!
- bob, stratford, London, 03/09/2010 17:52
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Its treason plain and simple. Hang him.
- Lance Johnson, Canterbury, Kent, 03/09/2010 17:14
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It is almost funny. Just plead innocence, or an illness like the guy who hacked into the American computer system and all is forgiven. No wonder no other government likes our courts trying people who have offended against them. We really are pathetic in this country now.
- amber, mitcham surrey, 03/09/2010 16:58
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This traitor should be dealt with properly
- PATRICK'S OPINION LAMBETH, LONDON, 03/09/2010 16:00
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it should be the person who recruited him that should be in the jail.what a wally
- john mckim, glasgow.uk, 03/09/2010 14:47
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Yup in my defence 'I hear voices' but still cannot get sponsorship from a Mobile Phone Co.
- Bill, HHeath, 03/09/2010 09:24
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