An army corporal who was the personal interpreter to Britain's most senior officer in Afghanistan was jailed for 10 years on Friday for spying for Iran. Daniel James, an Iranian-born flamboyant salsa-dancing fantasist who liked to be known as "General James", was caught passing information to an Iranian official in coded emails. His trial heard evidence that he believed he had been denied promotion because of racism and jealousy.
James, 45, worked for General David Richards, who will take over as chief of the British army in August, but at the time headed the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
Sentencing James, judge Roderick Evans said: "The gravest part of your offending and what made this case unique was that you engaged in this activity when you were actually serving in a war zone."
The judge said James was a "ripe target" for the Iranians because of his nationality, disenchantment with the British army and "narcissistic" personality. It emerged during his trial that he was 25,000 pounds (30,000 euros, $38,000) in debt.
The judge agreed with defense lawyers that the army should never have appointed James to such a sensitive position.
James, who immigrated to Britain as a teenager, was found guilty earlier this month of communicating information useful to an enemy under the Official Secrets Act. The charge related to emails he sent to Colonel Mohammad Hossein Heydari, military attaché at the Iranian embassy in Kabul.
On Thursday prosecutors announced they would not proceed with a re-trial on two further charges that jurors in the trial were unable to agree a verdict on.
James was told that he would serve half the term in custody, minus the 709 days he has already been on remand, and the remainder on license. That means he could be out in just over three years.