Security News > 2020 > November > Ex-missile systems worker jailed for breaching Official Secrets Act after last-second guilty plea
The former BAE Systems worker accused of sending details of a UK missile system to hostile foreign powers and of ignoring police demands to hand over his device passwords, has been jailed.
Simon Finch, formerly of Swansea, was handed a four-and-a-half year prison sentence on Tuesday at the Old Bailey after changing his pleas to guilty halfway through his trial for breaching the Official Secrets Act and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act.
The 50-year-old admitted sending MPs, trade unions and foreign powers details of an unidentified missile system on which he worked during his time with BAE Systems, defence research agency Qinetiq and the Ministry of Defence itself.
The former defence contractor reportedly changed his plea after the judge ruled out his "Duress of circumstances" defence, according to the BBC. He previously boasted that he would only hand over his passwords to police if they agreed to investigate his claims of maltreatment by Merseyside Police, though he also pleaded guilty to this count on Monday.
The court also heard that Finch emailed nation states details of the missile system, which he recalled from memory.