Former MI5 contractor Juan Joseph, 43, has been detained indefinitely at Broadmoor Hospital after being found not guilty by reason of insanity for contacting a foreign power
A disgruntled ex-MI5 worker has been sectioned due to a “high risk” of future violations of the Official Secrets Act, following allegations of repeatedly leaking sensitive information to a foreign power.
Former government IT contractor Juan Joseph, 43, had emailed the foreign nation and even journeyed abroad in an attempt to organise a meeting at their embassy as he pursued a complaint against MI5.
Last month, Old Bailey jurors took less than an hour to declare Joseph not guilty by reason of insanity after a week-long trial. On Wednesday, Joseph was detained indefinitely under sections 37 and 41 of the Mental Health Act during a disposal hearing at the Old Bailey.
Mr Justice Hilliard stated: “I accept that Mr Joseph would not have done what he did if he had not been mentally ill.
“But if his particular mental illness is not treated effectively and his condition deteriorates, I am sure that there is a very obvious risk that similar conduct could be repeated and the consequences for national security and for particular individuals could be very serious indeed.”
He added that Joseph had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and did not “have a guilty mind” or realise that “what he was doing was wrong”.
Four psychiatrists were consulted in Joseph’s case, and they all concurred that he should receive a restricted hospital order.
Ms Jocelyn Ledward KC, prosecuting, pointed out that “if he became unwell again” there is a “high risk that the defendant does something similar”.
Dr Michael Kavuma informed the court that Joseph was at an “early stage” in his treatment, and does not yet grasp “the seriousness of his actions, the seriousness of his risk and the importance of receiving treatment”.
The jury heard that Joseph held the highest security clearance during his 11 years at MI5 as a systems engineer, security IT management engineer and senior support engineer.
His employment was terminated in October 2020 after he was admitted to St Thomas’s hospital in London exhibiting what colleagues described as “mental fragility”, “extreme anxiety” and “paranoia”.
He discharged himself before any assessment could take place, and during a meeting to end his contract in October 2020, Joseph alleged he had been “victimised” and “gaslit”.
The accused also lodged a string of baseless complaints against MI5 regarding racist treatment and “highly disturbing” allegations, including rape, child abuse, and torture, jurors were told.
Mr Justice Hilliard had directed that his trial at the Old Bailey be conducted mainly in camera without public or press present to “avoid the risk of damage to national security”.
Before the jury were asked to retire to consider their verdicts, they were informed that experts were in agreement that the defendant was suffering from mental illness to such a degree that Joseph believed he was doing nothing wrong. Joseph also alleged that a swastika had been displayed in the office and he was injected with a hypodermic needle containing something that made him “very poorly” while at Thames House, MI5’s headquarters.
He reached out to the foreign state in 2024 after an attempt to launch a private prosecution for assault in 2019 was dismissed.
He requested a judicial review by the High Court and began including an email associated with the foreign state in his communications.
On 8 December 2024, Joseph travelled to Riga in Latvia where he dispatched two emails requesting a meeting at a foreign embassy there.
Upon his return on 15 December, he was intercepted by police at Gatwick Airport and refused to provide codes for seven digital devices, asserting he was an MI5 officer and required authorisation.
On 13 January 2025, Joseph included a foreign state in another email complaining about his treatment by police at Gatwick Airport.
Upon his arrest at an Ibis Hotel on 30 January 2025, he insisted he was an “armed MI5 officer” and a lock knife was discovered in his pocket.
A search of Joseph’s nearby home resulted in the finding of a homemade card falsely identifying him as an MI5 officer.
During police interviews, Joseph claimed to be a “whistleblower”, asserted he had done nothing wrong and had passed polygraph tests.
He professed to be a black belt in taekwondo with training in ninja-style knife and sword techniques at Thames House and was permitted to carry a blade for “defence”.
On Wednesday, it was disclosed by the prosecution that the defendant had been arrested on similar charges in early 2022, but no further action was taken.
Ms Ledward stated: “The defendant was arrested and interviewed in early 2022 in relation to similar disclosures that had been made at the time, as it transpired, while he was mentally unwell.”
This led to a hospital admission for a mental health assessment at the close of 2022, where he was deemed not to be “sufficiently unwell” to stay in hospital, the court was told.
Joseph, from Sutton, south London, pleaded not guilty to four charges under the Official Secrets and National Security Acts and possession of an article with a blade or point – but chose not to provide evidence in his defence.
He was acquitted of all charges due to insanity, and has been given a hospital order which will keep him at Broadmoor Hospital indefinitely.
The Section 41 restriction stipulates that he can only be released with the approval of the Ministry of Justice, and could be recalled immediately.
“I think that the power under section 41 for immediate recall to hospital if there is any deterioration, disengagement or concerns will markedly reduce his ability to do anything which could cause serious harm to the public,” Mr Justice Hilliard said.