Daniel Khalife, a former soldier, has been sentenced to greater than 14 years in custody and condemned as a “dangerous fool” for spying for Iran and escaping from jail.
In September 2023, Khalife, 23, sparked a high-profile manhunt when he broke out of HMP Wandsworth by clinging to the underside of a meals supply truck. On the time he was being held on remand for spying prices.
Final November, a jury at Woolwich crown court docket discovered him responsible of breaching the Official Secrets and techniques Act and the Terrorism Act by passing on info to Iran whereas he was serving within the military. Throughout his trial he additionally admitted escaping from jail earlier than his seize on a canal towpath by a plainclothed detective. He was cleared of finishing up a bomb hoax.
On Monday, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb sentenced him to 14 years and three months at Woolwich crown court docket.
In her sentencing remarks she mentioned: “Deterring others from similar behaviour must be the primary aim of this sentence.” The decide mentioned Khalife was motivated by a “selfish desire to show off”.
The trial heard how Khalife had “exposed military personnel to serious harm” by gathering delicate info and passing it on to Iranian brokers for money.
Prosecutors mentioned Khalife performed “a cynical game”, claiming he wished a profession as a double agent to assist the British intelligence companies, when in truth he gathered “a very large body of restricted and classified material”.
Mr Justice Cheema-Grubb mentioned:“Having taken an oath of allegiance, you were motivated by a personal grievance to betray your colleagues and superiors. Your conduct was premeditated and continued for over two years.
“You were aware that the Iranians had technology which could access your mobile phone and track where you, and by direct inference, your colleagues were serving, although it may be that some of your early material was bogus and of no direct importance, you did not stop when you realise that the domestic security services were not going to respond to your overtures.”
Defending, Gul Nawaz Hussain KC mentioned Khalife spying exercise was amateurish, describing as extra “Scooby Doo” than 007.
Some paperwork Khalife solid to move to the Iranians had been “laughably fake”, Hussain advised the court docket.
He advised the decide: “What Daniel Khalife clearly chose to do was not born of malice, was not born of greed, religious fervour or ideological conviction.
“His intentions were neither sinister nor cynical.”
