David Ballantyne Smith was given a 13-year jail sentence for breaking the UK's Official Secrets Act. He was arrested in a British-German sting operation and extradited to London.

A former security guard at the UK's Berlin embassy, who pleaded guilty to spying for Moscow, faces up to 14 years in prison when he is sentenced on Friday.

58-year-old David Ballantyne Smith, admitted to passing sensitive material to the Russian embassy in Germany and was then caught in a sting operation.

Judge Mark Wall said on Thursday that he would sentence Smith on the basis that he had an "ongoing relationship" with Moscow and was "paid for his treachery".

The sentencing hearing starts at 1000 GMT at the Old Bailey Court in central London.

The judge rejected Smith's claims that he had passed information to Moscow only twice in order to cause "embarrassment" to the UK.

Smith "was motivated by his antipathy towards this country and intended to damage this country's interests by acting as he did," the judge added.

The military veteran, originally from Paisley in western Scotland, had worked at the Berlin embassy for five years.

Prosecutors said Smith first wrote to the Russian embassy in 2020, revealing details of British embassy staff and suggesting further contact.

After the UK and German authorities found out about this, they formed a plot to try to catch Smith in the act.