A jury at Woolwich Crown Court has been presented with CCTV footage showing Daniel Khalife, a former soldier, reading about his own escape from prison. The footage captures Khalife inside a west London newsagent, perusing the Daily Mail and Daily Mirror.
The prosecution asserts that Khalife escaped from Wandsworth prison on September 6, 2023, by concealing himself beneath a food truck. At 23 years old, he faces charges not only for the escape but also for allegedly collecting sensitive military information for Iran, which he denies.
In a video montage shown to the jury, Khalife is seen leaving his cell shortly after 7:00 AM on the day of his alleged escape. He briefly appears in the kitchen area where he worked before a Bidfood truck is shown exiting the prison’s main gate. The prosecution claims he hid under the truck using a makeshift sling attached near the rear axle. A witness, Skye Vokins, testified seeing him roll out from under the truck, fix his hair, and walk away casually. Authorities were alerted to his absence by 8:18 AM.
Later that same day, Khalife was captured on CCTV entering a Mountain Warehouse shop, where he reportedly took a blue cap without paying. The following morning, at around 8:00 AM, he was seen purchasing two shirts and jogging bottoms at a Marks & Spencer in Kew, before topping up his phone at a Sainsbury’s two hours later and buying a Samsung phone for £89 on King Street.
By September 8, the former soldier was once again recorded in a Chiswick newsagent, where he read articles about his escape while buying the Daily Mail. It was during this period that he allegedly searched online for “Can a phone be tracked from IMEI?” indicating a concern for being traced. The prosecution claims that he also communicated with an account linked to Iranian intelligence, sending a message reading “I wait.”
The court was informed that on the morning of September 9, Khalife was spotted at a McDonald’s in Southall, where he changed his clothes in the restroom and ordered an espresso. Shortly after, he was apprehended on a canal towpath in Northolt.
Following his arrest, Khalife reportedly told officers that in the army “you’re literally trained for escape and evasion.” He claimed, “You’re trained to live in the woods, you’re trained to kill people,” and contended he had never considered escaping from prison a crime. He expressed a lack of awareness of the dangers of hiding under the truck until it reached higher speeds. Khalife expressed discomfort over the adverse publicity surrounding his escape and lamented being a “burden” on the country, referencing the extensive law enforcement efforts and operational disruptions during the manhunt.
During his time on the run, Khalife allegedly wrote notes stating he “didn’t want to betray the UK” by collaborating with Iran and insisted he “started with good intentions.” In one note, he articulated aspirations for a “democratically elected government in Iran” and declared he would rather “die in the pursuit of redemption” than be labeled a traitor by family and friends. He also mentioned his interactions with the Russian defense attaché and officials from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps.
The notes were discovered in a Ford Transit van that was reported stolen from Stafford Barracks, where Khalife was stationed. The van, which had been outfitted with false plates, contained a camp bed and £18,000 in cash. It was found on September 7, 2023, amid the search for Khalife.
Currently, Khalife faces multiple charges, including escaping from prison, gathering information beneficial to Iran, and perpetrating a bomb hoax, as well as violations of the Official Secrets Act and the Terrorism Act. He continues to deny all allegations against him as the trial progresses.
