Prison escape of Daniel Khalife

Daniel Abed Khalife was born on 27 September 2001 in London, UK.[1][2] He formerly lived in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames.[2] He attended Teddington School, a comprehensive school in Teddington, London, where he was a talented runner.[3] He left school in 2018.[2]

Khalife joined the British Army in 2018[4] or 2019.[5] He was a network engineer serving with the Royal Corps of Signals,[6] and was based at Beacon Barracks, Stafford.[7][2] He was discharged from the British Army in May 2023, following the charges relating to terrorism and breaking the Official Secrets Act.[2]

A Bidfood food delivery truck similar to the one used in the escape

On 6 September 2023, Khalife escaped from HM Prison Wandsworth in south west London where he was being held on remand.[13][7] He had been working in the prison kitchen and was wearing a chef's uniform consisting of a white t-shirt, red and white chequered trousers and brown steel-toe cap boots.[12] The Metropolitan Police (Met) believe that Khalife escaped by hiding beneath a food delivery van using a material which was "made from bedsheets with clips at each end".[14][13][15] A food supply vehicle had left the prison at 7:30 am and contingency plans for an "unaccounted prisoner" were activated at 7:50 am, including the lockdown of the prison and informing the police.[16] At 8:37 am, police stopped the food van in East Putney, and discovered strapping—possibly made from bedsheets—beneath the vehicle.[15][17]

Khalife's escape sparked a police search, and additional security checks at British airports and ports.[18] During the night of 7/8 September, Richmond Park, the largest park in London, was closed while the Met undertook a search; this included using helicopters with infra-red technology to search for body heat.[19] The Met said that 150 officers were involved in the search, in addition to police from other forces and members of the Border Force.[20] From 8 September, a reward of up to £20,000 was offered for information leading to Khalife's arrest.[21]

At 5 pm on 8 September, police confirmed a sighting of Khalife in southwest London on the morning of the escape. They stated that a man fitting Khalife's description was seen walking away from a Bidfood van near Wandsworth Roundabout shortly after his escape; the man then walked towards Wandsworth town centre.[22]

On the morning of 9 September, Metropolitan Police reported that Khalife had been sighted overnight in the Chiswick area of London.[23]

A plain-clothed officer was informed that Khalife had been seen on a bicycle on the Grand Union Canal towpath near Rowdell Road in Northolt. The officer attended, drew his Taser, and told Khalife to get off the bicycle.[14][24][25] Khalife was arrested at 10:41 am on suspicion of being unlawfully at large and escaping lawful custody,[25] approximately 14 miles (23 km) from Wandsworth prison.[24][25] In his possession was a mobile phone and a bag containing money and receipts which suggested that he had purchased clothes and credit for the mobile phone.[14]

On 10 September, the Metropolitan Police confirmed Khalife had been charged with escaping from lawful custody in relation to escaping from HMP Wandsworth.[26][17] He appeared before Westminster Magistrates Court on 11 September, where he was remanded in custody until 29 September when he will appear at the Old Bailey.[17] Following the hearing he was taken from court to the Category A Belmarsh Prison.[27] On 21 September, Khalife appeared in court from Belmarsh Prison via videolink and pleaded not guilty to escaping from lawful custody.[28][29]

On 7 September 2023, Alex Chalk MP, the Justice Secretary, ordered an investigation into the escape with a preliminary report being requested to be ready by the end of the week. This will include investigating the vehicle in question, whether other prisoners could enact a similar escape, and how Khalife was assigned to the kitchen, usually a "plum job" given to trusted prisoners, where he had access to knives and a potential escape route.[30] On 8 September, Sir Mark Rowley, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, described the escape as "clearly pre-planned", and that the police were investigating whether he was assisted in his escape by other prisoners, prison officers, or people from outside the prison.[19]

The chief prison inspector, Charlie Taylor, said that there are "too many prisoners in Wandsworth for the amount of staff who are there". Inspectors also stated that "more than 30% of prison officers were either absent or unable to work their full duties."[31]

On 10 September, Chalk confirmed that "approximately" 40 inmates had been transferred from Wandsworth following a review after Khalife's escape from the prison.[32]

On 15 September, figures published by the Ministry of Justice indicated that 80 prison officers (around 39% of the workforce) did not turn up for work at Wandsworth Prison on the morning of Khalife's escape. The UK government said staffing levels were "above the minimum" needed.[33]