Escaped prisoner Daniel Khalife assisted by two friends, jury told
Two men are on trial for allegedly assisting former soldier Daniel Khalife in his 2023 escape from HMP Wandsworth. Prosecutors claim the defendants provided instructions and financial support to help Khalife evade capture after his spying conviction.
Why it matters
The case highlights security lapses at high-profile UK prisons and the logistical support networks that facilitate the escape of convicted criminals.
Image source, Metropolitan Police Image caption, Khalife was arrested on a canal towpath in September 2023
Two friends allegedly aided escaped prisoner Daniel Khalife by acting as an instructor inside jail and a "man on the ground" supplying him with money, a court has heard.
Adeel Khan, 32, and Imran Chowdhury, 26, have pleaded not guilty to helping former soldier Khalife escape from HMP Wandsworth by tying himself to the bottom of a delivery truck in September 2023.
The two defendants lived just a mile apart in east London, a Snaresbrook Crown Court jury was told.
Khalife, who sparked a nationwide manhunt when he absconded from the London prison, was sentenced to 14 years and three months for spying for Iran after a 2024 trial.
Prosecutor Tom Williams described Khan and Chowdhury's friendship as "important".
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