British Army interpreter guilty of spying

LONDON, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- A British Army interpreter who had access to high-level NATO information has been found guilty of spying for Iran, prosecutors say.

Cpl. Daniel James, 45, an Iranian-born British soldier who served as interpreter for Lt. Gen. David Richards, NATO's top commander in Afghanistan, was found guilty of one count under the Official Secrets Act, the British tabloid the Daily Mail reported Wednesday.

Prosecutors said in London's Old Bailey court that James was a flamboyant man fond of indulging in fantasies and needed money to pay off $40,000 in debt. They said e-mails had been discovered, sent in 2006 between James and Iranian Col. Mohammad Hossein Heydari, that contained sensitive documents about troop movements and munitions.

James was "something of a Walter Mitty character" who "would no doubt find his new clandestine role something exciting and special," the Daily Mail quoted prosecutors as telling jurors.