Daniel Khalife's cocky three-word brag before doomed prison escape

Daniel Khalife spent 3 days connected the tally aft breaking escaped from HMP Wandsworth earlier being captured by the Metropolitan Police adjacent Northolt, Middlesex. A chap inmate said helium made nary concealed of his flight plan

Daniel Khalife has been sentenced to 14 years and 3 months successful prison for spying for Iran and for his elaborate crippled that saw him flight jail.

In September 2023, the 23-year-old clung to the underside of a transportation truck to flight class B situation HMP Wandsworth, southwest London. His flight sparked a nationwide manhunt to find the prisoner, who was yet caught 3 days aboriginal on a canal towpath successful Northolt, Middlesex, by a plainclothes detective.

The convict had been serving successful the British Army erstwhile helium "exposed subject unit to superior harm" by collecting delicate accusation and passing it to agents of the Middle Eastern country. He was paid successful currency for the concealed information and told handlers helium would enactment successful the subject for 25-plus years for them.

During his trial, prosecutors said Khalife played "a cynical game", claiming helium wanted a vocation arsenic a treble cause to assistance the British quality services, erstwhile successful information helium gathered "a precise ample assemblage of restricted and classified material".

In November, jurors astatine Woolwich Crown Court recovered that Khalife had breached the Official Secrets Act and the Terrorism Act. He was cleared of carrying retired a weaponry hoax and had already admitted during his proceedings to escaping from Wandsworth prison.

Police described Khalife arsenic the "ultimate Walter Mitty quality that was having a important interaction connected the existent world". Khalife told jurors helium wanted to beryllium bosses incorrect aft being told his Iranian practice could halt him from moving successful subject intelligence, and helium came up with his elaborate treble cause crippled aft watching the TV spy thriller Homeland.

An inmate who lived alongside Khalife astatine HMP Wandsworth said his plans to flight situation were well-known inside. He reportedly didn't adjacent support it a concealed from wardens, and chillingly told them: "Just ticker me".

Speaking with the Mirror successful September 2023, the inmate said: "He ever utilized to brag astir escaping. It was an unfastened secret." After escaping, helium was caught connected his motorcycle wearing a achromatic T-shirt and acheronian shorts and was soon backmost down bars.

The escaped captive was clutching his belongings successful a Waitrose bearer container and smiled arsenic helium was handcuffed with a cablegram tie, a witnesser said. Within minutes constabulary successful a twelve vehicles had descended connected the scene.

Khalife had been held connected remand successful Wandsworth wherever helium had been accused of panic and spying offences. The inmate who served clip alongside Khalife told the Mirror: "He ever utilized to brag astir escaping from prison. He utilized to accidental 'Just ticker me!' It was an unfastened concealed due to the fact that helium was truthful blatant astir it. I'm amazed nary of the guards reported him. Someone is going to get it successful the cervix for this."

Khalife joined the Army successful 2018, 2 weeks earlier his 17th birthday, and served with the Royal Corps of Signals. In 2021 helium had secretly gathered the names of serving soldiers, including those successful the peculiar forces. He took a photograph of a handwritten database of 15 of them, having been sent an interior spreadsheet of promotions successful June 2021. Prosecutors believed helium sent the database to Iran earlier deleting immoderate evidence.

After his arrest, helium told constabulary helium had wanted to connection himself to UK information agencies each along, having emailed MI6 arsenic aboriginal arsenic 2019. In November 2021, helium made an anonymous telephone to the MI5 nationalist reporting line, confessing to having been successful interaction with Iran for much than 2 years.

He offered to assistance the British information services, and said helium wanted to instrumentality to his mean life. Defending Khalife during his trial, Gul Nawaz Hussain KC said the treble cause crippled was "hapless" and "sometimes bordering connected the slapstick", much Scooby-Doo than James Bond oregon Homeland.

Prosecutors said Khalife prepared a weaponry hoax astatine his Staffordshire barracks successful January 2023, but the proceedings heard however a worker who arrived successful the country pulled wires retired of the instrumentality to beryllium it was not real. A weaponry disposal portion was called aft constabulary attended and looked astatine the instrumentality respective days later.

In mitigation for Khalife, Gul Nawaz Hussain KC told the tribunal that Khalife's flight from Wandsworth exposed 'horrific failings' wrong the situation strategy which are present being addressed. Mr Hussain said his flight effort was "basic" and progressive carabiners and a sling.

He suggested Khaife had escaped due to the fact that helium was frightened of being transferred to class A Belmarsh Prison. Sentencing connected Monday, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said: "In my judgement, you did not commencement retired intentionally to harm the interests of the United Kingdom."

She added that helium acted "because of a selfish tendency to amusement off". She added that his "dangerous and fantastical program demonstrates your immaturity".