Daniel Khalife taunted prison wardens with his plan to break out, claims inmate
Fugitive Daniel Khalife had boasted about his plan to flee jail, bragging in front of wardens: “Just watch me.”
A prisoner who was in HMP Wandsworth with the terror suspect told the Mirror: “He always used to brag about escaping. It was an open secret.” Escaped prisoner Khalife, 21, was nabbed in London yesterday after a huge manhunt. A cop spotted him and yanked him off his pushbike
The terror suspect is back behind bars tonight after being captured at 10.41am by a lone police officer who pulled Khalife off a bicycle on a canal towpath in Northolt, North West London. The escaped prisoner was clutching his belongings in a Waitrose carrier bag and smiled as he was handcuffed with a cable tie, a witness said. Within minutes police in a dozen vehicles had descended on the scene..
Khalife was eventually captured in Northolt (Stan Kujawa)There were reports that an SAS team had been summoned from their Hereford HQ to barracks in Richmond to track former soldier Khalife, 21. He escaped from HMP Wandsworth, South London, on Wednesday. When caught he was wearing a white T-shirt and dark shorts.
Student Ethan Andrews, 20, stumbled across the drama. He said: “I was crossing over the bridge and saw this man with cable ties around his hands. “One of the cops said, ‘We’re undercover officers.’ The guy had been on a bike and had a sleeping bag – he seemed to have a change of clothes. The three officers had him on the floor and then five minutes later there were loads more police on the scene.”
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Khalife had been held on remand in Wandsworth accused of terror and spying offences. The inmate who served time alongside Khalife told the Mirror: “He always used to brag about escaping from prison. He used to say ‘Just watch me!’ It was an open secret because he was so blatant about it. I’m surprised none of the guards reported him. Someone is going to get it in the neck for this.”
Khalife is now back behind bars after his trip (Press Association Images)Prison chef Khalife is believed to have trapped himself to the bottom of a food lorry during a jail delivery. His escape sparked a nationwide manhunt with motorways and airports put on high alert. The net closed on Friday night as sightings were reported in Chiswick, a leafy neighbourhood six miles from the jail.
Police swarmed the area with helicopters and search dogs amid rumours Khalife had been seen in a cemetery and under a nearby bridge. An unsuspecting dog walker told how she calmly chatted with Khalife as he sat on a bench in leafy Chiswick 24 hours before his arrest.
Khalife was spotted by police near the canal in Northolt on Saturday morning (Stan Kujawa)She said he remarked on the hot weather and said he’ ha just left the Forces. She added he seemed to be ‘gentle and sweet’ and petted her dog. But it is said it was tip-offs from the public which sealed his fate. More than 100 calls were made to cops.
Commander Dominic Murphy, of the Met Police’s counter-terror unit, said: ““The officer was in that area as a result of being tasked to search for Daniel, saw him on a pedal cycle, was able to pull him off that pushbike, and arrest him at that moment in time. After his arrest, Daniel was fully co-operative. We wouldn’t have been able to find anything without the public’s help and support.
The ex-soldier was picked up by a plain clothes police officer (Sky News)
The chef's clothing Khalife was wearing during his escape (PA)“This has also been an intelligence-led investigation but the media and the public have played a very substantial role. That co-operation has been so significant in finding Khalife and making sure he’s back in custody today.”
Cdr Murphy warned police would be focusing on anyone who might have harboured Khalife – or helped his escape. He added: “If you were supporting or assisting Daniel – before, during or after his escape – you will still form part of our investigation, and we will find you.”
Home Secretary Suella Braverman hailed the police’s work, saying: “I want to thank the Metropolitan police, agencies and Border Force for their work on this massive operation.” And Rishi Sunak – speaking from the G20 summit in India – said he was “very pleased” Khalife had been arrested. The PM signalled his support for an inquiry ordered by Justice Secretary Alex Chalk into security at Wandsworth.
A security expert told us Khalife would be safer back behind bars than on the run – as he could have been targeted by rattled extremists who fear his escape may blow their cover. The source said Khalife would be considered a “broken asset”.
Khalife, from Teddington, South West London, is likely to face further charges on top of existing terror and spying allegations. Before his escape he was accused of trying to spy for an enemy state – understood to be Iran – and plotting a fake bomb hoax.
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Khalife joined the Army in 2019 and friends described him as a “joker” who was renowned for his running abilities. The incident has drawn attention to government cuts to the prison service and overcrowding inside jails.
Steve Gillan, chair of the Prison Officers Association, said Wandsworth has 1,600 inmates – yet its theoretical capacity is just 900. He said: “This should be the trigger for a royal commission into how not just prisons are run but the whole criminal justice system. The Government needs a wake-up call.”
Shadow Chancellor Yvette Cooper praised police for arresting Khalife but also raised concerns around lax security. She added: “Now we need answers about how on earth a prisoner charged with terror and national security offences could have escaped in this way.”
The Ministry of Justice said that it was investigating the circumstances around Khalife’s escape.
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