Simon Finch: Defence worker admits Officials Secrets Act breach

Simon Finch was accused of sharing technical details about a UK missile system classified as "top secret"

A former defence worker has admitted disclosing top secret details of a UK missile system.

Simon Finch, 50, sent an email containing the information to eight people, which he also claimed to have shared with "hostile" foreign states.

He initially denied two charges of breaching the Official Secrets Act and refusing to give authorities access codes to three electronic devices.

But Finch, of Swansea, changed his pleas to guilty during a trial.

The Old Bailey heard he became disillusioned by British authorities after reporting homophobic attacks in 2013, which he did not believe were investigated properly.

Prosecutors alleged Finch leaked the document to exact retribution on the British system, which he felt had let him down.

Finch said he wanted to draw attention to his situation, adding: "I had to do something to generate national exposure. It had to be quite serious. It had to be something to gather national attention."

On Monday, Judge Mrs Justice Whipple ruled out his "duress of circumstance" defence and Finch admitted all the charges.

In her ruling in the absence of the jury, she said such a defence could be made in an "extreme case" where a person faced an "impossible choice".

"For example, a spy is kidnapped and told that his wife or child will be murdered if he does not disclose secrets," she said.

The judge said Finch's case did not come anywhere near to meeting the threshold of "seriousness and imminence of threat" and other options were open to him.

Finch's psychiatric defence based on a diagnosis of autistic traits was also dismissed.

'Downward spiral'

Jurors heard how the mathematics graduate worked for BAE Systems and QinetiQ which provide contracted services to the Ministry of Defence.

He went into a "downward spiral" after suffering two alleged homophobic assaults in Merseyside in 2013.

This led to accusations Merseyside Police failed to investigate or classify the attacks as hate crimes when he reported them.

The experience led Finch to carry weapons including a set of martial arts nunchucks when he went out in public, jurors heard.

In 2016, Finch was handed a suspended sentence after he admitted going out with a hammer and machete.

He claimed he was dragged along the floor in handcuffs so that his long johns fell around his ankles, and had to defecate on the station floor after being refused a toilet.

Finch was subsequently detained for psychiatric assessment and mental health treatment before admitting possession of the weapons.

'Top secret'

The defendant left his job at BAE Systems in February 2018 and moved to Swansea.

In October 2018, Finch disclosed technical details classified as "secret" and "top secret" in an email containing information about the weapons system, which is still used by the armed forces.

The unencrypted email was sent to eight people including members of charities, law firms, trade unions and an MP.

Outlining his grievance, Finch wrote: "Since the UK has refused me any justice, compensation, or even treatment for these appalling crimes then it has no right to expect my loyalty."

Defence barrister Stuart Trimmer said treatment Finch received had "quite literally ruined his life".

"Some might say he became obsessed by the issue, it seems to have consumed his thinking," he said.

Finch was remanded into custody to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Tuesday.