Two men accused of spying for China in Britain, including a former parliamentary researcher, will no longer face prosecution after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped the case on evidential grounds.
Christopher Cash, 30, once a parliamentary researcher with access to senior Conservative MPs on foreign affairs and defence, and Christopher Berry, 33, an Oxfordshire academic with teaching links in China, had been charged under the Official Secrets Act in April 2024. Both were accused of passing information “useful to an enemy” and “prejudicial to the interests” of the UK between 2021 and 2023.
The men, who denied the charges, were due to face trial at the Old Bailey next month. Prosecutors have now conceded that the evidential threshold is no longer met, and no further evidence will be offered.
The collapse of the case raises difficult questions about the UK’s ability to prosecute state-backed espionage. The Chinese Embassy dismissed the allegations as “fabricated,” but the decision will intensify concerns in Whitehall, where MI5 and others have repeatedly warned about Beijing’s covert targeting of Parliament, academia and critical infrastructure.
The CPS outcome may be legally justified, but strategically it leaves Britain exposed and its deterrence weakened.
Lt Col Stuart Crawford is a defence analyst and former army officer. Sign up for his podcasts and newsletters at www.DefenceReview.uk
Lt Col Stuart Crawford’s latest book Tank Commander (Hardback) is available now
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