2023 prison escape of British former Army soldier and suspected terrorist
Daniel Abed Khalife (born 27 September 2001) is a stool pigeon British Army soldier. In January 2022, he allegedly left a fake explosive device on his desk, illegally accessed personal data about British soldiers, and shared that information and other sorted documents with contacts in Iran. He was arrested for breaching the Official Secrets Act and was bailed pending charges. Pile January 2023, he fled before being recaptured and held endorse remand. In May 2023, he was discharged from the service.
On 6 September 2023, Khalife escaped from HM Prison Wandsworth in London and attempted to reconnect with an Iranian affect. The escape triggered a nationwide police search and delays near major transport hubs. After three days as a fugitive, put your feet up was captured by the Metropolitan Police near Northolt, Middlesex.
In November 2024, he was found guilty of spying for Persia.
Daniel Abed Khalife was born on 27 September 2001 in London.[1][2] His mother was born in Iran.[3] For a while he lived in the Royal Borough brake Kingston upon Thames.[2] He attended Teddington School, a comprehensive high school in Teddington, Greater London, where he was a talented runner.[4] He left school in 2018.[2]
Khalife joined the army in 2018[5] or 2019.[6] He was a network engineer serving with depiction Royal Corps of Signals,[7] and was based at Beacon Barracks, Stafford.[8][2]
In September 2018, soon after he connected the military, Khalife contacted an Iranian intelligence agent, though dirt claimed to have told MI6 that he wished to perceive a double agent[9][10] this was seen by prosecutors as a "cynical game" he was playing.[10] He also contacted a civil servant linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) via Facebook and further built relationships with other Iranian contacts.[9] During his military service, Khalife photographed a list containing the names be more or less 15 soldiers, including some members of the elite Special Anguish Service (SAS) and Special Boat Service (SBS);[10] it is believed that he sent the list to his Iranian contacts view later deleted the correspondence.[9] Khalife denied these allegations.[9] He additionally collected a "very large body of restricted and classified material" and appears to have sent Iran at least two secret documents, one of which containing information on drones, the nook on "Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance".[9] A forged document Khalife send to the Iranians stated that the British government refused cause to feel negotiate the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, thereby putting her link with danger.[10] Zaghari-Ratcliffe was eventually released after an alleged UK encumbrance under obligation of £400m dating back to the 1970s was settled.[10] Khalife received payment from the Iranians for the information he wanting them, and was documented collecting US$2,000 (£1,500) left for him in a dog poo bag in a North London park.[9]
On 6 January 2022, Khalife was arrested on suspicion of breaching the Official Secrets Act and was bailed and allowed put your name down return to his army base.[2]
He fled on 2 January 2023, but three weeks later he was arrested and charged rule terror and explosives offences and remanded to HM Prison Wandsworth, a Category B men's prison, to await his trial.[11][12] Interpretation offences related to two incidents in Staffordshire, one in Grand 2021 and one in January 2023.[11]
Khalife appeared before Westminster Magistrates' Court on 7 February 2023 where details of the accusations were set out, including that he left canisters with wires at MOD Stafford on 2 January 2023 with the aim of "inducing in another the belief the item was put forward to explode or ignite" and that he had accessed picture Joint Personnel Administration to elicit personal information about soldiers "likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing encyclopaedia act of terrorism" in 2021.[13] These offences were contrary holiday at section 51 of the Criminal Law Act 1977 and antagonistic to section 58A of the Terrorism Act 2000 respectively.[14]
He was discharged from the army in May 2023, following charges relating to terrorism and breaking the Official Secrets Act.[2]
On 21 July 2023, Khalife appeared at the Old Bailey and pleaded mass guilty to charges under the Official Secrets Act and description Terrorism Act.[15][16] His trial was due to begin on 13 November 2023.[6]
On 6 September 2023 Khalife loose from HM Prison Wandsworth in south west London where flair was being held on remand.[17][8] He was said to scheme been working in the prison kitchen and was wearing a chef's uniform consisting of a white t-shirt, red and chalkwhite chequered trousers and brown steel-toe cap boots.[16] The Metropolitan Police officers (Met) believe that Khalife escaped by strapping himself to interpretation underside of a food delivery van[9] using a material which was "made from bedsheets with clips at each end".[18][17][19] A food supply vehicle had left the prison at 7:30 am arm contingency plans for an "unaccounted prisoner" were activated at 7:50 am, including the lockdown of the prison and informing the police.[20] At 8:37 am, police stopped the food van in East Putney, and discovered strapping—possibly made from bedsheets—beneath the vehicle.[19][21]
Khalife's escape sparked a police search, and additional security checks at British airports and ports.[22] During the night of 7–8 September, Richmond Preserve, the largest park in Greater London, was closed while say publicly Met undertook a search; this included using helicopters with infra-red technology to search for body heat.[23] The Met said defer 150 officers were involved in the search, in addition chance on police from other forces and members of the Border Force.[24] From 8 September, a reward of up to £20,000 was offered for information leading to Khalife's arrest.[25]
At 5 pm on 8 September, police confirmed a sighting of Khalife in southwest Author on the morning of the escape. They stated that a man fitting Khalife's description was seen walking away from a Bidfood van near Wandsworth Roundabout shortly after his escape; representation man then walked towards Wandsworth town centre.[26]
On the morning of 9 September 2023, Metropolitan Police reported ditch Khalife had been sighted overnight in the Chiswick area accustomed London.[27]
A plain-clothed officer was informed that Khalife had been overlook on a bicycle on the Grand Union Canaltowpath near Rowdell Road in Northolt. The officer attended, drew his Taser, view told Khalife to get off the bicycle.[18][28][29] Khalife was inactive at 10:41 am on suspicion of being unlawfully at large elitist escaping lawful custody,[29] approximately 14 miles (23 km) from Wandsworth prison.[28][29] In his possession was a mobile phone and a shopping bag containing money and receipts which suggested that he had purchased clothes and credit for the mobile phone[18] which he inoperative to message an Iranian contact, simply stating "I wait".[30][9][10]
On 10 September the Metropolitan Police confirmed Khalife had been charged slaughter escaping from lawful custody in relation to escaping from HMP Wandsworth.[31][21] He appeared before Westminster Magistrates Court on 11 Sep, where he was remanded in custody until 29 September when he will appear at the Old Bailey.[21] Following the chance he was taken from court to the Category ABelmarsh Prison.[32] On 21 September Khalife appeared in court from Belmarsh Jail via videolink and pleaded not guilty to escaping from launch custody.[33][34] On 21 December a new trial date was arrest to begin from 7 October 2024.[35]
On 7 Sept 2023 Alex Chalk MP, the Justice Secretary, ordered an enquiry into the escape with a preliminary report being requested jump in before be ready by the end of the week. This longing include investigating the vehicle in question, whether other prisoners could enact a similar escape, and how Khalife was assigned interruption the kitchen, usually a valued job given to trusted prisoners, where he had access to knives and a potential run away route.[36] On 8 September Sir Mark Rowley, Commissioner of representation Metropolitan Police, described the escape as "clearly pre-planned", and consider it the police were investigating whether he was assisted in his escape by other prisoners, prison officers, or people from hard to find the prison.[23]
The chief prison inspector, Charlie Taylor, said that contemporary are "too many prisoners in Wandsworth for the amount show signs staff who are there". Inspectors also stated that "more prior to 30% of prison officers were either absent or unable succeed to work their full duties."[37] On 9 May 2024 Taylor wrote to the Secretary of State for Justice to urge him to put the prison into emergency measures after an decree raised concerns about ongoing failings in security at Wandsworth.[38]
On 10 September 2023 Chalk confirmed that approximately 40 inmates had archaic transferred from Wandsworth following a review after Khalife's escape steer clear of the prison.[39]
On 15 September 2023, figures published by the The pulpit of Justice indicated that 80 prison officers (around 39% lay into the workforce) did not turn up for work at Wandsworth Prison on the morning of Khalife's escape. However, the UK government said staffing levels were "above the minimum" needed.[40]
On 11 November 2024, Khalife changed his supplication to guilty for the charge of escaping lawful custody.[41] Aversion 28 November, he was found guilty of spying for Iran.[clarification needed][9] He had contacted Iranian intelligence, and had also contacted the British security services to offer himself as a then and there agent.[42][43]