Spy Scandal: Ex-Defence Worker Admits Leaking Top Secret Info
Simon Finch, from Southport, flipped his plea and admitted guilt midway through his Old Bailey trial on Monday, 9 November. He pleaded guilty to serious offences linked to the Official Secrets Act.
Serious Charges Under the Official Secrets Act
- Recording information prejudicial to state safety (Official Secrets Act 1911)
- Damaging disclosure related to defence secrets (Official Secrets Act 1989)
- Ignoring a disclosure notice (Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000)
Finch faces sentencing at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, 10 November.
‘Betrayed UK’s Security’ – Police Blast Finch
Commander Richard Smith, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, slammed Finch’s actions.
“Finch acted out of perceived injustice but recklessly endangered the safety of our military personnel and the UK’s security. His refusal to provide passwords to his devices obstructed our investigation. As a long-time worker on defence projects, he knew the stakes and consequences of leaking this information.”
Smith warned that anyone leaking sensitive UK security data will be hunted down and prosecuted without mercy.
The Leak Uncovered: How Finch’s Grievances Blew Up
The saga kicked off when Finch emailed highly sensitive military details to multiple recipients in October 2018. One alerted authorities, triggering a probe led by the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command and the Ministry of Defence.
In his email on 28 October 2018, Finch ranted about perceived injustices by police, health services, and his former employers — including MoD contractors on weapon systems and software projects.
Claiming this was his revenge, Finch admitted to documenting secret weapons information from memory and confessed to sending it to foreign and potentially hostile states.
The email included attachments detailing his grievances alongside a dossier containing Secret and Top Secret data.
On the same day, Finch posted a video to social media describing these alleged wrongs.
Investigation, Arrest and Refusal to Cooperate
Detectives arrested Finch on 27 March 2019. They seized his computer and devices but Finch refused to hand over passwords, defying a formal order under RIPA.
He was bailed as the police continued probing highly sensitive information. Finch was charged on 17 September 2019 and ultimately convicted as he admitted this week.
