Former soldier Daniel Khalife who escaped from prison guilty of spying for Iran

Former worker Daniel Khalife is facing years down bars aft helium was recovered blameworthy of spying for Iran.

The 23-year-old, who made headlines for his audacious flight from HMP Wandsworth portion connected remand, contacted MI6 successful 2019, claiming helium wanted to work arsenic a ‘double agent’ for the service.

He was convicted contiguous of committing an enactment prejudicial to the interests oregon information of the authorities by collecting accusation that mightiness beryllium utile to an enemy.

He was besides recovered blameworthy of eliciting accusation astir members of HM equipped forces.

Khalife was cleared of perpetrating a weaponry hoax offence aft leaving a fake weaponry astatine his barracks successful Staffordshire.

He admitted escaping from HMP Wandsworth during the 2 period proceedings astatine Woolwich Crown Court.

Khalife, wearing a bluish garment and airy trousers, calmly replaced his glasses arsenic the verdicts were work out, and did not amusement immoderate emotion.

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb remanded Khalife in custody up of condemnation connected 12 December.

British-born Khalife had joined the Royal Corps of Signals successful 2019 and wrong a period was successful interaction with Iranian authorities.

He would walk much than 2 years passing accusation to his handlers.

Khalife amassed accusation astatine Stafford barracks successful the UK and portion deployed astatine Fort Cavazosn successful Texas.

He utilized the Army’s strategy for booking yearly permission to hunt for and entree accusation astir his comrades.

Much of the accusation helium passed connected was worthless and could beryllium accessed connected the internet.

But helium besides made a handwritten database of soldiers moving for peculiar forces which helium gave to his handlers.

But connected 4 August 2020 Khalife travelled to Istanbul connected instructions from a spy maestro named ‘David Smith’ connected his telephone who had told him to disguise the travel arsenic a holiday.

He utilized Telegram to bespeak helium had near a bundle for his handlers.

Prosecutor Mark Heywood, KC, said Khalife’s program was to spell from Turkey to Iran but helium did not transverse the border.

He was paid for his services erstwhile helium collected £1,500 successful a canine poo container from his handlers successful Barnet.

Khalife told them helium could stay successful the Army for much than 25 years betraying the country.

Mr Heywood earlier said: ‘Over a play of much than 2 years, Mr Khalife collected and made integer records, but besides sometimes successful insubstantial form, of a ample quantity of information.

‘All the portion helium was serving worker successful the British army, employed truthful to uphold and to support the nationalist information of this country.

‘For purposes of his own, successful a mode prejudicial to the information oregon information of this country, helium made interaction with agents of Iran, a state whose interests to bash not align with, and astatine times threaten, those of the United Kingdom.’

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