Prison escapee ‘used bed sheets to strap himself under food truck’
Terror suspect Daniel Khalife may have used bed sheets to strap himself to the underside of a food delivery truck, a court heard.
The former soldier, 21, broke out of HMP Wandsworth last Wednesday (6), by clinging to the bottom of the lorry, sparking a 75-hour manhunt.
He was arrested on a canal towpath in Northolt, west London at 10.41am on Saturday after he was pulled off a bike by a plainclothes counter-terrorism officer.
British-born Khalife, who has Iranian and Lebanese heritage, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court charged with escape, contrary to common law.
Wearing a grey prison issue tracksuit, Khalife spoke to confirm his name and date of birth.
Khalife gave no indication of plea in relation to the escape charge when he appeared in court flanked by two police officers.
Prosecutor Thomas Williams said on the morning of 6 September, Wandsworth prison notified police that Khalife was missing.
He had been working in the jail kitchen and ‘there were suspicions he had disappeared via a food delivery truck.’
The court heard police intercepted the delivery truck at 8:40am on Upper Richmond Road.
Police found two makeshift straps, made from material thought to be from bed sheets, with clips on each end, attached to the underside of the vehicle.
Mr Williams said: ‘There was a four-day manhunt of 150 police officers per day, using resources from other police forces and government agencies.’
The court heard Khalife was arrested at 10:41am on 9 September after a plain clothed officer, in an unmarked vehicle received reports Khalife had been spotted on a bicycle.
Khalife had in his possession a small amount of money, clothes and a mobile phone.
He told officers he had ‘almost been caught on several occasions’, that he ‘hated the governor of Wandsworth’, and that he had been to Richmond Park and the Chiswick area.
Khalife also told officers the lorry driver was unaware of his escape.
Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram remanded Khalife in custody ahead of a preliminary hearing at the Old Bailey on 29 September.
Khalife was on remand at Wandsworth Prison ahead of his trial for breaching the Official Secrets Act and an alleged bomb hoax offence at his barracks.
He allegedly left three canisters with wires on his desk in his accommodation at MOD Stafford, also known as Beacon Barracks, on 2 January this year.
He is also accused of committing an act prejudicial to the interests or safety of the state by collecting information that might be useful to an enemy between 1 May 2019 and 6 January 2022.
A third charge alleges he elicited information about soldiers from the MoD Joint Personnel Administration System at the barracks that was likely to be useful to commit an act of terrorism on 2 August 2021.
He denies those offences and had been due to stand trial at Woolwich Crown Court on 13 November.
An investigation has been launched into how he managed to break out of the Category B jail.
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