Military court finds soldier guilty of 'attempted espionage'

A military court found a New Zealand soldier guilty of attempted espionage for a foreign power yesterday — the first spying conviction in the country's history.

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The soldier was caught offering to pass military base maps and photographs to an undercover officer posing as an agent for the foreign nation, the court martial heard.

The man’s name, the country he attempted to spy for and the name of the undercover officer who snared him were all suppressed by the court.

The serviceman wiped away tears as evidence was recounted against him, with close relatives present in court to give support.

His wife also wept, while his father repeatedly leaned forward, his head in his hands.

The soldier was the first person to be convicted of spying by a New Zealand court and only the second to be tried after a former public servant was acquitted of espionage in 1975.

He admitted to attempted espionage, accessing a computer system for a dishonest purpose and knowingly possessing an objectionable publication.