Daniel James (born Esmail Mohammed Beigi Gamasai, in 1962), is a former British Army corporal who was found guilty of a violation of the Official Secrets Act 1911 for attempting to pass information to Iran. James was formerly the interpreter and sometimes driver for British Army

Lieutenant-General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

Sir David Richards, who commanded the NATO forces in Afghanistan. James speaks fluent Pashtun and Persian. He attempted to pass information to Iran about British activities in Helmand Province.

Life in Brighton

James used to run the Club New York (a salsa and hip-hop club) in

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

opposite Churchill Square. He would teach salsa at this club.

Arrest and Appearance

James' charges were read in the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court in London and was charged under Section 1 of the Official Secrets Act 1911. Action was taken very quickly, so that the then Attorney-General, Lord Goldsmith, had not approved the prosecution before James was told of the charge. The full charge read on court on 2 November 2006 was that he was charged for a "purpose prejudicial to the safety of the State and that he "communicated to be directly or indirectly useful to the enemy." He was tried before Senior District

Judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

Timothy Workman Senior District Judge Timothy Henry Workman is a British retired judge, a long-term stipendiary magistrate who served as Senior District Judge ( Chief Magistrate) for England and Wales. From 1967 to 1969, Workman was a probation officer in ...

. In November 2008 he was found guilty by a jury of spying for Iran on a charge of 'communicating information useful to an enemy', and sentenced to ten years imprisonment. The jury failed to agree verdicts on two other charges relating to his possession of sensitive documents on a USB memory stick, and of

misconduct in a public office Malfeasance in office is often grounds for a just cause removal of an elected official by statute or recall election. Malfeasance in office contrasts with "misfeasance in office", which is the commission of a ''lawful'' act, done in an offici ...

, and these charges were left on the table.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:James, Daniel Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment soldiers 1962 births Living people British prisoners and detainees Military personnel from Tehran Iranian emigrants to the United Kingdom Iranian spies Prisoners and detainees of England and Wales People convicted of spying 20th-century British Army personnel 21st-century British Army personnel