Ex-GCHQ man jailed for life after stabbing US security worker

A former UK intelligence worker has been jailed for stabbing a US government employee.

Joshua Bowles, from Cheltenham, attacked the woman in a leisure centre car park, three miles from GCHQ’s base, in March.

The 29-year-old was handed a life sentence at the Old Bailey, with a minimum term of 13 years.

Armed with two knives, Bowles punched and stabbed the woman repeatedly on 9 March, leaving her with cuts to her abdomen, chest and thigh.

The ex-computer software coding developer later said he had targeted her because he could not handle the “murky waters of ethics” and “the power that the American NSA have and the things they do”.

During sentencing, senior judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb found the stabbing was a “politically motivated attack” driven by “anger and resentment” towards GCHQ and women.

She rejected the defence claim that it was not a terrorist incident, saying Bowles’ internet history showed he had a “deep disaffection with society and a desire to challenge authority”.

The court heard Bowles had planned the attack and searched online for topics including US Unabomber terrorist Theodore Kaczynski, attacks on women, and white supremacy.

In a victim impact statement, the woman said using her attacker’s name made her “feel sick” and brought back “awful memories”.

She said she was “devastated” to find out they had worked in the same place, adding: “This attack has had a profound effect on me and it’s utterly and completely changed my life.

“Following the attack, I went from being in the best shape I had ever been to being the weakest I have ever been.”

On the day of the stabbing, the woman – referred to by code number 99230 – was followed as she and a friend left a Cheltenham leisure centre after a game of netball.

After hearing someone say “excuse me”, she turned and was punched repeatedly in the face.

She fought back, kicking and…