A former soldier, Daniel Khalife, who was accused of spying for Iran, has pleaded guilty to escaping from prison under a food catering truck and going on the run for four days while awaiting trial. Khalife, 23, from Kingston, southwest London, changed his plea to a charge of escaping from lawful custody halfway through giving evidence at Woolwich Crown Court.
The judge, Mrs Justice Cheema Grubb, informed the jury that Khalife admitted to being in lawful custody and deliberately escaping, leaving him with no lawful defense to the charge. Dressed in a white shirt, chinos, a blue knitted waistcoat, and white trainers, Khalife responded with a guilty plea to the charge.
Khalife faces cross-examination on the spying charges. He is accused of spending two years passing secrets to the Iranians while serving with the Royal Corps of Signals, but he denies the charges, claiming he only provided fabricated documents in an attempt to become a double agent.
During the trial, Khalife’s defense lawyer mentioned that the police began investigating him because he had contacted MI6 and MI5 to offer his services. Following his arrest under the Official Secrets Act, Khalife escaped from prison under a food catering van on September 6th last year, leading to a nationwide manhunt.
Prosecutors allege that Khalife intended to defect to Iran while on the run, but Khalife stated that he was not thinking clearly and was merely curious about the sentiment within the Iranian state when he contacted his handlers. He explained that he planned his escape after being informed of his transfer to Belmarsh maximum security jail.
Khalife expressed concerns about his safety in HMP Wandsworth and decided to seek a transfer to the high-security unit in Belmarsh. He detailed his escape plan, which involved marking a date in his diary, covering himself in soot, acting suspiciously near the lorry, and using makeshift ropes to attach himself to the truck.
On the morning of September 6th, Khalife was seen on CCTV climbing under the back of the Bidford Foods catering lorry as it left Wandsworth Prison. The story is still developing, and more details will be released soon. Stay updated by refreshing the page or receiving breaking news alerts.
