Daniel Khalife given brutal two-word putdown by judge as jailbreak soldier spy sentenced

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb told erstwhile British Army worker Daniel Khalife that though helium thought helium was a treble agent, helium was successful information a "dangerous fool"

A erstwhile soldier has been described by a justice arsenic a "dangerous fool" arsenic helium was sentenced for attempting to beryllium a treble agent.

Daniel Khalife “exposed subject unit to superior harm” by giving serving officers' names to Iranian agents for £1,500 successful currency portion helium served arsenic a British Army soldier. He has present been sentenced to much than 14 years successful prison, helium was told by Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb: "You had the makings of an exemplary soldier, alternatively you were a unsafe fool."

Khalife was conscionable 16 erstwhile helium joined the service and was adjacent named arsenic "young worker of the year". But a tribunal heard helium was frustrated aft being told his Iranian practice whitethorn halt him being recruited into subject intelligence. He came up with an elaborate treble cause plot aft watching the TV spy thriller Homeland.

Prosecutors told his proceedings helium played “a cynical game”, claiming helium wanted a vocation arsenic a treble cause to assistance the British Intelligence Services, erstwhile successful information helium gathered “a precise ample assemblage of restricted and classified material”.

He gathered documents and photographs including a handwritten database of names of unit including immoderate who served successful the Special Air Service and Special Boat Service. He was paid successful currency for the material, immoderate of which helium forged, and told handlers helium would enactment successful the subject for 25-plus years for them.

In September 2023, Khalife escaped from class B situation HMP Wandsworth, successful south-west London, by clinging to the underside of a nutrient transportation truck. He was caught connected a canal towpath by a plain apparel detective days aboriginal aft a nationwide manhunt was launched.

The justice added: “You embarked connected the people of behaviour I person described due to the fact that of a selfish tendency to amusement off, to execute by unregulated means what you were told volition beryllium hard for you to execute by accepted promotion. The specified information that you started connected this unsafe and fantastical program demonstrates your immaturity and deficiency of wisdom, that you thought it was due to insert yourself – an unauthorised, unqualified and uninformed inferior worker into connection with an force authorities is possibly the clearest denotation of the grade of folly successful your nonaccomplishment to recognize astatine the astir evident level the hazard you posed.”

In mitigation, Gul Nawaz Hussain KC said Khalife’s actions were much “Scooby Doo” than “007”. He told the judge: “What Daniel Khalife intelligibly chose to bash was not calved of malice, was not calved of greed, spiritual fervour oregon ideological conviction. His intentions were neither sinister nor cynical.”

Some of the documents helium had forged to walk to the Iranians were “laughably fake”, Mr Hussain told the court. “We accidental it was offending that was calved of nonrecreational disappointment, a tendency to show genuine inferior and that led him to a grossly naive, rose-tinted presumption of patriotism."

Mr Hussain added that Khalife’s gathering of a database of soldiers’ names to walk to Iran had led to affirmative changes being made to interior Army systems that mean servicemen and women are present amended protected. His flight from situation had besides highlighted failings wrong the situation strategy that are present being addressed, the tribunal was told.

Five days earlier his palmy escape, helium attached a sling to the underside of a lorry made from room trousers and carabiners. While connected the run, Khalife bought apparel from Marks & Spencer and a java from McDonald’s, and walked beside the River Thames. He made 1 past effort to interaction the Iranians earlier helium was caught, sending a Telegram connection which said simply: “I wait.”

On Monday helium was sentenced to 14 years and 3 months successful situation for breaching the Terrorism Act, the Official Secrets Act and for escaping from HMP Wandsworth.