Daniel Khalife: Former soldier who escaped from Wandsworth Prison guilty of spying for Iran
A ex-British serviceman who broke out of Wandsworth Prison has been convicted of espionage for Iran.
Daniel Khalife, a 23-year-old former lance corporal in the Royal Signals, fashioned a makeshift harness from the trousers of inmates who worked in the kitchen. He used this to hang onto the bottom of a food delivery truck on September 6 of the previous year.
He was incarcerated in a Category B prison, facing charges for allegedly supplying confidential information, including a roster of soldiers—some of whom were in the SAS—to Iranian agents.
MI5, the Ministry of Defence, and counter-terrorism police initiated a countrywide search, concerned that Khalife might attempt to escape to Tehran or reach the Iranian embassy in London.
Woolwich Crown Court was informed that during his time in hiding, he purchased a mobile phone to contact his associates, who went by the alias "David Smith." He then sent a text saying, "I’m waiting."
Khalife was apprehended on the morning of September 9 after being seen riding a stolen mountain bike along the canal path in Northolt, a neighborhood in west London, roughly 14 miles from Wandsworth Prison.
At first, he entered a not guilty plea for the escape charge. However, after explaining the details of his breakout to the jurors, he decided to change his plea, stating that it highlighted just how unwise it was to keep someone with his abilities behind bars.
Khalife, who reached out to an Iranian spy shortly after enlisting in the Army at the age of 16, stated that he aimed to become a "double agent" and believed he could emulate a character like James Bond. However, he only provided false or irrelevant information.
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In his testimony, he characterized himself as a proud Englishman, emphasizing, "I am definitely not a terrorist or a traitor."
However, he was convicted for the offense of collecting, sharing, or disseminating information that could be beneficial to an adversary during the period from May 1, 2019, to January 6, 2022, in accordance with the Official Secrets Act.
Khalife, who hails from Kingston in southwest London, was also convicted of attempting to gather personal details about military personnel that could potentially aid someone planning or carrying out a terrorist act on August 2, 2021.
The accusation pertains to a picture of a handwritten document featuring the names of 15 soldiers, among them members of elite units like the Special Air Service (SAS) and Special Boat Service (SBS).
Khalife was acquitted of making a false bomb threat at his military base in January 2023.
"The quintessential daydreamer"
Dominic Murphy, who leads the counter-terrorism unit of the Metropolitan Police, commented that although Khalife's methods seemed "inexperienced" and had a touch of "fantasy," the truth is that he shared "very sensitive" information with the Iranian government.
"He's the quintessential daydreamer," he explained. "The issue is that this daydreamer was actually making a substantial difference in the real world."
A Walter Mitty character is an everyday person with a vivid imagination who frequently daydreams about achieving great things as a way to escape their mundane existence.
Mr. Murphy stated that the actions taken by Khalife to boost his self-esteem represented a serious threat to national security, and he had seemingly relished the excitement of the deceit all along.
Authorities have intercepted 20 direct schemes orchestrated by the Iranian government, which included plans for assassinations or immediate dangers to people's lives. Mr. Murphy stated that agents of the state "represent a significant threat to national security and to individuals in the UK."
Khalife explained to the jury that he reached out to an Iranian agent on Facebook in an effort to win favor with UK security services. He had been informed that he could not complete the advanced vetting process necessary to pursue his aspiration of working in intelligence, mainly because his mother was originally from Iran.
Khalife used a classic espionage method called a "dead drop" or "dead letter box," where he secretly placed items in public spots to receive money in return.
In August 2019, he gathered £1,500 using a dog waste bag while in Mill Hill Park, located in Barnet, north London. Then, in October 2021, he retrieved another £1,000 in cash from Kensal Green Cemetery in North Kensington.
He made two trips from his military base in Staffordshire to the Iranian embassy located in South Kensington, London. Additionally, he flew to Istanbul, where he stayed at the Hilton hotel from August 4 to August 10, 2020, and was reported to have "delivered a package" for Iranian agents, according to what was presented in court.
He maintained contact while stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, where he was trained on the Falcon military communication system.
Khalife reached out to British security agencies multiple times, expressing his desire to work as a "double agent." However, MI5 informed the police about him, leading to his arrest.
While out on bail, he disappeared from his post. On his desk, he left behind a contraption made of three canisters of laughing gas held together with sniper tape.
He was discovered living in a stolen Ford Transit van, which was later revealed to have a camping bed, about £20,000 in cash, and notes expressing his desire to defect to Iran.
Prosecutors alleged that he intended to flee the country, noting that he had already made a trip to Turkey as a trial run for traveling to Iran. Furthermore, he had been communicating with his Iranian contacts and was trying to reach the embassy.
However, just three weeks later, he was taken into custody once more after a coworker saw him at the community center. He was subsequently held on remand at Wandsworth Prison, where he secured a position in the kitchen.
The getaway had been in the works for quite a while.
Khalife explained to the jury that he arranged his escape because he wished to transfer to the high-security section of Belmarsh. He wanted to protect himself from sexual offenders and terrorists who posed a threat to his safety.
Authorities suspect that he had been strategizing the "rather bold" escape for a considerable period and noted in his prison journal about an earlier "unsuccessful" attempt to flee on August 21 of the previous year.
Khalife informed the jury that on September 1, he tied a temporary rope to the Bidfood delivery truck in order to assess the safety measures at the prison while it was making its regular deliveries.
"When I finally decided to escape from the prison, I knew I had to do it right," he explained, sharing how he hid himself by leaning back on the sling while the vehicle was being inspected.
The driver, Balazs Werner, mentioned that two security personnel informed him that someone was unaccounted for while they inspected the truck using a flashlight and a mirror. He was astonished that he was permitted to leave and that the prison wasn't on lockdown.
Khalife mentioned that he stayed put until the truck came to a halt, then got down on the ground and remained flat until it drove away.
He made a call from the Rose of York pub in Richmond before someone close to him took out £400 from a nearby ATM. He then used this money to purchase a sleeping bag, a cellphone, and some new clothes.
Surveillance cameras recorded his activities as he purchased clothing from Marks & Spencer, swiped a hat from Mountain Warehouse, enjoyed some coffee at McDonald's, and even perused the newspaper to read about his own escape.
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After being captured on the sidewalk by the Grand Union Canal in Northolt, where he had been hiding for four days, Khalife told the police that he was in pain, saying, "My body hurts. I messed myself up under the truck," and added, "I have no idea how immigrants manage it."
Authorities stated that he received no assistance from anyone within the prison, in Iran, or from immediate family members in London. However, a 24-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman were taken into custody earlier this year on suspicion of helping someone commit a crime, and the investigation is still in progress.
The prison oversight authority has recommended that Wandsworth Prison be placed under emergency protocols following Khalife's escape. A recent security review revealed "81 areas of concern" and led to much-needed improvements to the CCTV cameras, which had been inoperative for over a year.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) subsequently revealed that it would be reallocating £100 million from various areas within the prison system to invest in "immediate enhancements" over the next five years.
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In the meantime, Bethan David from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) remarked, "As an active member of the British Army, Daniel Khalife was given the responsibility to safeguard our national security. However, for his own reasons, he exploited his position to threaten that very security."
Disclosing the information might have put military staff in significant danger or threatened their lives, endangering the safety and security of the United Kingdom.
It is illegal to gather and distribute confidential and sensitive information for any reason that goes against the interests of the United Kingdom.
"These aggressive and unlawful actions pose a risk to the national security of the UK, and the Crown Prosecution Service will consistently aim to take legal action against anyone who engages in threats against the state."
