A former MI5 contractor is accused of breaching the Official Secrets Act after allegedly leaking information to a foreign power while pursuing grievances over his dismissal. Juan Joseph, 43, is accused of repeatedly disclosing classified information.
Mental Health and Contract Termination
The Old Bailey has heard Joseph was experiencing mental health issues when he emailed a foreign state and traveled to Riga, Latvia, in December 2024, attempting to arrange a meeting at an embassy.
MI5’s former head of HR testified that Joseph began displaying symptoms of “mental fragility, extreme anxiety and paranoia” in August 2020, after 11 years with MI5 and another intelligence agency where he held the highest level of security clearance, granting him access to all classified information.
He was referred to St Thomas’ Hospital in London but left before being assessed. Following a review, MI5 recommended his security clearance be withdrawn, leading to his contract termination on October 30, 2020. At an exit meeting, Joseph signed an Official Secrets Act declaration and was warned about the consequences of unauthorized disclosures.
Grievances and Allegations
Joseph lodged four grievances, beginning on the day he went to hospital, alleging his client relations manager at MI5 made “racialist comments to and about him.” An investigation concluded the grievance was unsubstantiated.
In 2021, Joseph emailed further complaints to his former agency and the director general of MI5, detailing disturbing claims including rape, abuse, attempted assassination, conspiracy to murder, torture, and assault. MI5 determined none of these events were true or accurate.
The witness stated Joseph’s mental fragility was concerning given the nature of his work, particularly without appropriate support. While MI5 had a duty of care, Joseph was classified as a contractor, not an employee.
Claims of Victimization
Another witness testified that Joseph claimed he was “victimised” and “gaslit” during the contract termination meeting. He believed his vetting status was withdrawn due to concerns about his mental health, which he described as “bogus and ongoing victimisation and gaslighting.”
Joseph also questioned whether his vetting was withdrawn due to his ethnicity, but a vetting officer assured him this was not the case. He claimed colleagues subjected him to “bullying behaviour and worse” because of his race, but declined to elaborate when invited to do so, stating he would pursue legal redress.
The HR manager described Joseph as calm, polite, and respectful throughout the meeting, and he declined the offer of a welfare officer.
Further Legal Action and Arrest
In August 2024, Joseph applied for a private prosecution relating to an alleged assault at work in April 2019, but his application was rejected. He then began including an email linked to a foreign state in his communications.
On December 8, 2024, Joseph traveled to Riga and allegedly sent emails requesting a meeting at a foreign embassy. He was arrested on January 30, 2025, at an Ibis Hotel, claiming to be an armed MI5 officer, and a lock knife was found in his possession. A homemade card purporting to identify him as an MI5 officer was also discovered at his home.
Joseph, from Sutton, south London, has denied all charges, and the trial has been adjourned until Monday.
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