Daniel Khalife

Daniel Abed Khalife (born 27 September 2001) is a former British Army network engineer and soldier. It is alleged that in January 2022 he left a fake explosive device on his desk, illegally accessed personal information about British soldiers, and shared that information and other classified documents with contacts in Iran. He was arrested on suspicion of breaching the Official Secrets Act and was bailed pending charges. In January 2023 he fled before being recaptured and held on remand. He was discharged from the army in May 2023.

On 6 September 2023 Khalife escaped from HM Prison Wandsworth in London and attempted to reconnect with an Iranian contact. A nationwide police search and delays at major transport hubs followed. After three days as a fugitive he was captured by the Metropolitan Police near Northolt in Middlesex. He was found guilty of spying for Iran in November 2024.

Early life and career Khalife was born on 27 September 2001 in London. His mother was born in Iran. For a while he lived in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. He left school in 2018. or 2019. and was based at Beacon Barracks in Stafford. this was seen by prosecutors as a "cynical game" he was playing. The offences related to two incidents in Staffordshire, one in August 2021 and one in January 2023. These offences were contrary to section 51 of the Criminal Law Act 1977 and contrary to section 58A of the Terrorism Act 2000 respectively.

He was discharged from the army in May 2023, following charges relating to terrorism and breaking the Official Secrets Act. His trial was due to begin on 13 November 2023.

Escape and police search

On 6 September 2023 Khalife escaped from HM Prison Wandsworth in south west London, where he was being held on remand. A food supply vehicle had left the prison at 7:30 am and contingency plans for an "unaccounted prisoner" were activated at 7:50 am, including the lockdown of the prison and informing the police. At 8:37 am police stopped the food van in East Putney, and discovered strapping—possibly made from bedsheets—beneath it. During the night of 7–8 September Richmond Park, the largest park in Greater London, was closed while the Met undertook a search; this included using helicopters with thermographic technology to search for body heat. The Met said that 150 officers were involved in the search, in addition to police from other forces and officers from the Border Force. From 8 September a reward of up to £20,000 was offered for information leading to Khalife's arrest.

At 5 pm on 8 September police confirmed a sighting of Khalife in south-west London 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; the man then walked towards Wandsworth town centre.

Capture and subsequent charges On the morning of 9 September 2023 the Met reported that Khalife had been sighted overnight in the Chiswick area of London.

A plain-clothed officer was informed that Khalife had been seen on a bicycle on the Grand Union Canal towpath near Rowdell Road in Northolt. The officer attended, drew his Taser, and ordered Khalife to dismount the bicycle. In his possession was a mobile phone and a bag containing money and receipts which suggested that he had purchased clothes and credit for the mobile phone On 21 September Khalife appeared in court from Belmarsh via a videolink and pleaded not guilty to escaping from lawful custody. On 21 December a new trial date was set to begin from 7 October 2024.

Reaction to escape On 7 September 2023 Alex Chalk, Secretary of State for Justice, ordered an investigation into the escape with a preliminary report being requested to be ready by the end of the week. This will include investigating the vehicle in question, whether other prisoners could enact a similar escape, and how Khalife was assigned to the kitchen, usually a valued job given to trusted prisoners, where he had access to knives and a potential escape route. On 8 September Sir Mark Rowley, Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, described the escape as "clearly pre-planned", and that the police were investigating whether he was assisted in his escape by other prisoners, prison officers or people from outside the prison. 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 inspection raised concerns about ongoing failings in security at Wandsworth.

On 10 September 2023 Chalk confirmed that approximately 40 inmates had been transferred from Wandsworth following a review after Khalife's escape from the prison.

On 15 September 2023, figures published by the Ministry of Justice indicated that 80 prison officers (around 39% of the workforce) were absent from Wandsworth Prison on the morning of Khalife's escape. However, His Majesty's Government said staffing levels were "above the minimum" needed and officials later clarified that fewer than five of the absences were unauthorised.

Change of plea and conviction On 11 November 2024 Khalife changed his plea to guilty for the charge of escaping lawful custody. On 28 November he was found guilty of spying for Iran. On 3 February 2025 he was sentenced to 14 years and 3 months in prison.