Daniel Khalife prison accomplice found guilty of helping inmate evade police manhunt

An inmate has been convicted of funnelling money to escaped spy suspect Daniel Khalife during the three days he was at large after fleeing HMP Wandsworth in September 2023.

Adeel Khan, 23, was found guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court today by a majority of 11 to one, following four hours and 36 minutes of jury deliberations.

His co-defendant Imran Chowdhury, a 26-year-old web developer, was acquitted of the same charge.

Both men had denied intending to "prevent, hinder or interfere" with Khalife's apprehension.

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Khan had separately admitted possessing a mobile phone in prison without authorisation.

Khalife, a serving British Army soldier, had been on remand facing allegations of espionage on behalf of Iran and a bomb hoax at his military base when he escaped by clinging to the underside of a lorry.

The two men had worked alongside each other extensively in the Wandsworth prison kitchens, sharing 190 shifts, although Khan maintained he had never actually spoken to Khalife and recognised him only from queuing for bonus gym sessions that came with the role.

Before fleeing the jail, Khalife recorded Khan's prison number, mobile number and Snapchat details in a diary he took with him during his escape.

Once free, Khalife began borrowing phones from members of the public to make what the court heard described as "desperate" calls to Khan on an illicit handset he held inside the prison.

On the evening of September 7, Khalife reached Khan after five failed attempt. The pair spoke for 17 minutes and 35 seconds.

Following that conversation, Khan contacted his girlfriend, who sent £120 to Chowdhury as payment for travelling to Richmond in south-west London to rendezvous with the fugitive.

Chowdhury met Khalife there and used his American Express card to withdraw £400 at 10.39pm, the court was told.

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The morning after his escape, Khalife had visited the Marks & Spencer at Kew Retail Park, spending £35.60 on T-shirts, jogging bottoms and socks.

He then headed to Kings Mall Shopping Centre in Hammersmith to purchase a phone.

By September 8, CCTV captured him at a Chiswick newsagent buying a 3G mobile phone voucher and a copy of the Daily Mail carrying coverage of his own prison break.

On the morning of September 9, Khalife stole a bicycle and attempted to flee along the Grand Union Canal towpath, but a member of the public recognised him and undercover officers intercepted him in Northolt.

When detained, he was carrying £200 in cash along with the diary containing Khan's contact details.

Khalife, now 24, received a sentence of 14 years and three months in February last year.

Commenting on Chowdhury's acquittal, Judge Murray Shanks remarked that the jury's verdict suggested the web developer "didn't know what the hell was going on".

He added it seemed a "reasonable verdict, I have to admit".

Khan was remanded in custody and will be sentenced at the same court on September 4.

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