Daniel Khalife originally pleaded not guilty to the charge of escaping prison, however has changed his plea today.
The former British Army soldier is on trial for charges relating to communication with Iranian intelligence and for escaping prison while awaiting trial.
The jury heard Mr Khalife joined the army at age 16 and contacted Iranian intelligence the next year. He says he hoped to act as a double agent for the British government and made fake documents to gain the trust of his Iranian contacts.
What has happened today?
Today’s proceedings have focused on charges related to Mr Khalife’s communications with Iran. The jury were shown evidence today including documents which Mr Khalife says are ‘fake’ and were never sent to Iran; images of Mr Khalife collecting £1500; and messages arranging a trip to Turkey. Some evidence, including messages sent on telegram, had been deleted.
The jury were also shown emails to MI6 sent by Mr Khalife in 2019. In the emails Mr Khalife says he had sent fake documents to Iran and intended to act as a double agent.
He admitted in court that the emails contained lies including that Iran contacted him initially. Mr Khalife says he made mistakes and has reinforced his young age — he was 17 at the time.
Why did he escape?
This comes after Mr Khalife changed his plea to guilty on the charge of escaping prison yesterday.
He escaped from Wandsworth prison last September and was found after a three-day search. Mr Khalife told the jury he escaped hoping he would be moved to a high-security prison.
He believed he would be safer there than in the vulnerable prisoners wing at Wandsworth prison where he says he was mostly housed with sex offenders. He escaped by tying himself to the underside of a food delivery lorry.
He maintains a not guilty plea for charges of collecting and communicating information useful to an enemy, namely Iran; collecting the names of Special Forces soldiers that would be useful for terrorism and perpetrating a bomb hoax.
The trial remains ongoing.
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HeadlineDaniel Khalife changes plea
Short HeadlineDaniel Khalife has pleaded guilty to escaping from Wandsworth Prison
StandfirstThe former British Army soldier had originally pleaded not guilty
Daniel Khalife originally pleaded not guilty to the charge of escaping prison, however has changed his plea today.
The former British Army soldier is on trial for charges relating to communication with Iranian intelligence and for escaping prison while awaiting trial.
The jury heard Mr Khalife joined the army at age 16 and contacted Iranian intelligence the next year. He says he hoped to act as a double agent for the British government and made fake documents to gain the trust of his Iranian contacts.
What has happened today?
Today’s proceedings have focused on charges related to Mr Khalife’s communications with Iran. The jury were shown evidence today including documents which Mr Khalife says are ‘fake’ and were never sent to Iran; images of Mr Khalife collecting £1500; and messages arranging a trip to Turkey. Some evidence, including messages sent on telegram, had been deleted.
The jury were also shown emails to MI6 sent by Mr Khalife in 2019. In the emails Mr Khalife says he had sent fake documents to Iran and intended to act as a double agent.
He admitted in court that the emails contained lies including that Iran contacted him initially. Mr Khalife says he made mistakes and has reinforced his young age — he was 17 at the time.
Why did he escape?
This comes after Mr Khalife changed his plea to guilty on the charge of escaping prison yesterday.
He escaped from Wandsworth prison last September and was found after a three-day search. Mr Khalife told the jury he escaped hoping he would be moved to a high-security prison.
He believed he would be safer there than in the vulnerable prisoners wing at Wandsworth prison where he says he was mostly housed with sex offenders. He escaped by tying himself to the underside of a food delivery lorry.
He maintains a not guilty plea for charges of collecting and communicating information useful to an enemy, namely Iran; collecting the names of Special Forces soldiers that would be useful for terrorism and perpetrating a bomb hoax.
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