Daniel Khalife ‘could have used bedsheets to flee jail’, courtroom hears

Daniel Khalife, 21, was arrested on a canal towpath in Northolt, west London, on Saturday.

Khalife, a former soldier within the British military, was being held at HMP Wandsworth as he awaits a trial on terrorism costs.

However he’s mentioned to have escaped whereas strapped to the underside of a meals supply truck which was visiting the class B males’s jail in southwest London.

Outlining the allegation, prosecutor Thomas Williams mentioned: “On the morning of September 6, the jail notified the police that Khalife was lacking. He had been working within the kitchen.

“The suspicion was he escaped underneath a meals supply truck which had just lately left the loading bay.”

He mentioned Khalife is suspected of utilizing “makeshift straps” which “could have been from mattress sheets” to connect himself to the Bidfood truck, and he had disappeared when police stopped the automobile a short while later.

The courtroom heard he had a bag with money and a cell phone when he was arrested, and Khalife advised officers he had been to Richmond Park and Chiswick.

“He mentioned the lorry driver had no concept what he was doing”, added Mr Williams.

Khalife, listed in courtroom as having no fastened tackle, was charged on Sunday with escaping from jail and appeared within the dock at Westminster magistrates courtroom on Monday morning.

Khalife, sporting prison-issue gray garments, was flanked by two law enforcement officials in full uniform and a courtroom guard as he stood within the locked dock for a short listening to in entrance of Deputy Chief Justice of the Peace Tan Ikram.

Three additional law enforcement officials sat within the properly of the courtroom, whereas one other courtroom guard was stationed on the door of the courtroom.

He’s accused with escaping from lawful custody on September 6. The cost reads: “Being in lawful custody on a felony cost, escaped from the mentioned custody.”

Khalife watched on impassively throughout the eight-minute listening to, as he was remanded again into custody. He spoke solely to establish himself, and didn’t point out a plea to the cost.

Khalife arrived on the central London courthouse in a safe Metropolitan Police van simply after 9am, adopted by a convoy of unmarked police automobiles whereas uniformed officers lined the doorway to the courtroom on foot.

Decide Ikram refused an software for Khalife to be handcuffed within the dock, after guards provided no purpose for the additional safety measure.

He despatched the case to the Previous Bailey, with the following listening to provisionally set for September 29.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has ordered an investigation into HMP Wandsworth within the wake of Khalife’s disappearance.

The cupboard minister on Sunday revealed that dozens of inmates have been moved out of the Victorian jail to a different jail because the alleged jail break is investigated.

Jail bosses are underneath intense scrutiny and confronted a recent disaster when a 24-year-old prisoner was stabbed and rushed to hospital yesterday afternoon.

The previous serviceman, who was stationed at Beacon Barracks, in Stafford, has been charged with a terrorism offence, perpetrating a bomb hoax, and an offence underneath the Official Secrets and techniques Act.

The fees date from Might 2019 to January 2022.

It’s mentioned he elicited or tried to elicit info that may very well be helpful for a terrorist on August 2 2021, and breaching the Official Secrets and techniques Act by gathering info that may very well be helpful to an enemy.

Khalife can also be accused of putting “three canisters with wires on a desk in his lodging” with the intention of inducing in one other a perception this was “more likely to explode or ignite and thereby trigger private damage or harm to property”.

He has entered not responsible pleas and is because of stand trial in November at Woolwich crown courtroom.