Daniel Khalife found guilty of spying for Iran

Image: Daniel Khalife

Former soldier found guilty of two counts of espionage at Woolwich Crown Court

Daniel Khalife, a former British Army soldier who escaped from prison and spent time in Chiswick while he was on the run last year, has been convicted of espionage for Iran in a high-profile trial at Woolwich Crown Court.

The 23-year-old was found guilty of collecting sensitive military information and passing it to Iranian agents, endangering national security. His actions included sharing a list of names of special forces personnel, which prosecutors said could have jeopardised lives.

Khalife, who previously admitted to escaping from HMP Wandsworth, made headlines in 2023 for his daring breakout and subsequent manhunt. Jurors were shown CCTV footage which tracked Khalife’s movements across south west London.

The escape, described by prosecutors as calculated and deliberate, began when Khalife strapped himself to the underside of a food delivery van at Wandsworth Prison. He emerged from beneath the vehicle when it stopped at traffic lights in Putney and, according to a

witness, walked away calmly after adjusting his fringe.

By the following afternoon, Khalife was seen entering a Mountain Warehouse shop in Richmond, where he was accused of taking a blue cap without paying. He had changed into an olive-green T-shirt and shorts, seemingly attempting to alter his appearance.

Image: CCTV footage shown to the jury at Woolwich Crown Court of Khalife on the run, inside NB Newsagents in Grove Park

Khalife spotted at in Chiswick at several points

On 8 September 2023, Khalife was seen in NB Newsagents in Grove Park at 8.22am. CCTV footage captured him buying newspaper, reportedly browsing headlines in the Daily Mail and Daily Mirror about his own escape.

Bharvik Benani, who works at the shop, told The Chiswick Calendar his mum was working at the time and had no idea Khalife had been in-store.

“We were surprised, we only found out when the police came.”

Helicopters hovered over Chiswick late into the night, and police presence intensified as authorities scoured Chiswick House Gardens for signs of the fugitive. Residents reported being kept up all night by the sound of the helicopters.

Traders along Chiswick High Road, including workers at Mountain Warehouse, said they believe Khalife went

into at least a dozen shops including Tesco and M&S.

Despite his efforts to evade capture, Khalife was arrested in Northolt a day later. He reportedly congratulated the officer who detained him.

Image: Daniel Khalife was arrested in Northolt after a manhunt lasting several days

Conviction a “stark warning” those compromising safety and security of the UK, says Met Police

Prosecutors argued that Khalife’s actions constituted a severe breach of trust, as he used his position in the military to collect classified information for personal gain. His escapade, they said, was part of a broader “cynical game” to manipulate both British and Iranian authorities.

Following his conviction, Bethan David, head of counter-terrorism at the Crown Prosecution Service, said:

“Khalife’s betrayal could have had catastrophic consequences for our national security and for the lives of military personnel.”

The trial also heard that Khalife sent fake intelligence documents to Iranian agents, including one concerning Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian national who was detained in Iran at the time. Prosecutors argued that this reckless action could have further endangered her life.

Khalife, however, maintains that his espionage was amateurish and that he never intended to harm anyone. His lawyer described him as a fantasist rather than a calculated spy.

Chiswick resident Frank Noon, who spotted him at the cemetery on Corney Road in Grove Park said:

“I actually felt a bit sorry for him. I thought ‘as someone who is most wanted you don’t look like someone scary or anything.”

The case has raised serious concerns about national security and the internal handling of sensitive information. Commander Dominic Murphy of the Metropolitan Police’s counter-terrorism unit said:

“This conviction serves as a stark warning to anyone who considers compromising the safety and security of the UK.”