Daniel Khalife, 21, charged with escaping from HMP Wandsworth prison

10 September 2023 , 12:33

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Khalife is likely to face further charges on top of existing terror and spying allegations in the wake of his prison escape (Image: PA Wire)

Daniel Khalife has officially been charged with escaping custody and will appear in court on Monday following a four-day manhunt, the Met Police have said.

The now-captured escapee is now likely to face further charges on top of existing terror and spying allegations in the wake of his prison bolt. Khalife is charged with escaping custody on September 6 while on remand at Wandsworth, pending trial at the Old Bailey.

The 21-year-old is due to appear in Westminster Magistrates Court tomorrow. The dramatic arrest came after a massive operation involving security services bugging phones and even elite SAS troops being brought in.

Daniel Khalife was arrested by under this bridge on the Grand Union Canal at Northolt (Stan Kujawa)

He winked at passers-by after the 75-hour man hunt came to a close following his escape from Wandsworth prison on Wednesday. A plain-clothed undercover officer hauled the "arrogant" fugitive off his bike on a canal towpath in Northolt, North West London before making an arrest.

Footage shows the former soldier sat in handcuffs next to a sleeping bag and a Waitrose cool bag as six men surround him before dozen of vehicles descended on the scene. The Met Police say he will appear on Monday following his re-capture on Saturday morning.

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The officer yelled "Don’t move or we’ll shoot" as they finally caught the jailbreak terror suspect, who was heard crying: "It's not me! I ain't done anything" as he was wrestled to the ground before his hands were tied together. Officers perched on a grassy verge behind a wall before pouncing at 10.41am.

The terror suspect had made no secret of his desire to break out and hid under a Bidfood delivery lorry (PA)

Wearing a white T-shirt, dark shorts and trainer socks, the blue bike Khalife used is seen placed upside down and disabled in case he somehow managed to wriggle free. He sits waiting as he is cuffed with his grey trainers sitting alongside him. His sleeping bag can also be seen in the clip.

Anti-terror police, MI5 and MI6 all combined to bug phones and carry out a raid to assist the capture as the attention now shifts to the hunt for any accomplices intensifies as detectives today continue to question the former soldier. Aiding the arrest were "spooks" - highly-trained intelligence officers - who intercepted communications leading dozens of cops to a 'safe house' in Richmond, south west London.

Former inmates said Daniel Khalife regularly bragged about wanting to escape

It was there where they were convinced the terror suspect was hiding as the collaboration between the specialist spies saw officers just miss him possibly by minutes, before finally capturing the smiling escapee a few miles away. The SAS - one of the world’s elite special forces that specialises in hostage rescue and counter-terrorism - were earlier summoned from their Hereford HQ to barracks in Richmond as part of the hunt.

Justice secretary Alex Chalk claims correct security protocols and staffing levels were in place at the time and speaking to the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, he said: "The real question is whether the protocols were followed to the extent they should be."

Earlier, Mr Chalk told Sky News: "Out of an abundance of caution some prisoners there, some of those on remand, have been moved. Additional resources have of course gone into Wandsworth, so there's additional governor support, a former governor with particular expertise in security."

Sam Elliott-Gibbs