Leaked report Berry seemed to know client was not a firm

Christopher Berry, the man at the heart of the Chinese espionage row, appeared to know he was supplying information to a non-commercial client, according to messages seen by the Guardian.

- Amy Hawkins

In August 2022, Berry sent a voice note saying that "they want me to work for them directly instead of going through the company".

The messages are included in an expert report written for Berry's defence team by Kerry Brown, the director of the Lau China Institute at King's College London, and leaked to the law podcast Double Jeopardy and the former director of public prosecutions Ken MacDonald KC.

Berry, an academic, and Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, were charged with espionage offences under the Official Secrets Act in April 2024, but the case against them was dropped last month. The charges related to more than 30 reports that Berry wrote for a Chinese handler between December 2021 and February 2023. The Guardian understands Berry was paid about £20,000 for the reports, while Cash did not receive any money.

Both men have maintained their innocence, and in a statement on 16 October, Berry said his reports were "provided to a Chinese company which I believed had clients wishing to develop trading links with the UK".