Former soldier who escaped from jail found guilty of spying for Iran

A former soldier whose prison escape led to a prolonged manhunt in 2023 has been convicted of spying for Iran but cleared of carrying out a bomb hoax.

- Kevin Rawlinson

Daniel Khalife was found guilty of two counts relating to his espionage yesterday. Wearing a blue shirt and pale trousers in court, he calmly put his glasses back on as the verdicts were read out and did not show any emotion.

The 23-year-old had admitted partway through his trial to the escape from HMP Wandsworth, in southwest London. Khalife had strapped himself to the underside of a food delivery van while being held on remand over the spying charges.

Prosecutors accused Khalife of playing "a cynical game" in claiming he wanted a career working as a double agent to help British security services. In fact, he gathered "a very large body of restricted and classified material", they said.

Khalife covertly gathered the names of serving soldiers, including those in special forces. Woolwich crown court was told he took a photo of a handwritten list of 15 service personnel who included members of the SAS and Special Boat Service, having been sent an internal spreadsheet of promotions in June 2021.

He denied sending the list to the Iranians and claimed he mostly sent useless or made-up documents. In his defence, Khalife's barrister, Gul Nawaz Hussain KC, said his double-agent plot had been amateurish.