Official secrets breach accused carried a knife, court told

Simon Finch denies recording and disclosing secret defence information

A software engineer accused of leaking secret details about a UK missile system began carrying a knife after a counsellor mocked his "silly, silly nunchucks", a court has heard.

Ex-defence contractor Simon Finch, 50, from Swansea denies breaching the Official Secrets Act at the Old Bailey.

The court heard he sent the information to several organisations in 2018.

It was alleged to be a "retaliation" for his claim he had been "failed by the UK state" between 2013 and 2016.

The classified intelligence "Systems.doc" was one of 32 attachments on the email sent by Mr Finch, with others detailing his grievances and complaints at length, the court heard.

The "trigger" for the analyst's "downward spiral" was two allegedly homophobic attacks weeks apart in Merseyside in 2013, and the apparent refusal of police to investigate or class them as hate crimes because he did not identify as gay, jurors have heard.

On Wednesday, they were told the alleged attacks led Mr Finch to carry weapons when he went out in public, including a set of the traditional martial arts sticks.

Reading parts of an attachment allegedly sent by Mr Finch in the unencrypted email files, prosecutor Mark Heywood QC said when the engineer told a work counsellor, "her response was to laugh at me, saying if I'm going out for the night then don't take those silly, silly nunchucks".

"I replied: 'Would you be able to take it more seriously if I was carrying a knife?'"

Mr Finch was said to have had "awful dreams of my attackers laughing at my nunchucks".

The trial is taking place at the Old Bailey in London

He was then said to have described carrying a blade while visiting two pubs in Southport, Merseyside, allegedly adding in the email: "I didn't want to be carrying a knife, I just wanted protection from the law when bigots were threatening me."

Mr Finch alleges he was taken to Copy Lane Police Station in Bootle and subjected "to inhumane and degrading" treatment which amounted to "torture", the court heard.

He was subsequently detained for psychiatric assessment and mental health treatment.

In 2016, he was handed a suspended sentence after admitting he went out in public with a hammer and machete.

Mr Finch subsequently wrote to the police watchdog, Merseyside Police professional standards, the mental health charity Mind, his trade union Unite, the Guardian newspaper and Southport MP Damien Moore to try and get redress for the perceived wrongs, the court heard.

Defence barrister Stuart Trimmer QC told jurors this apparent mistreatment "quite literally ruined his life", adding: "Some might say he became obsessed by the issue, it seems to have consumed his thinking."

Mr Finch, of Penlan Crescent, Uplands, denies recording and disclosing secret defence information and refusing to give authorities access codes to three electronic devices.

The trial continues.