Former soldier Daniel Khalife found guilty of spying for Iran after prison escape

Former soldier Daniel Khalife has been found guilty at Woolwich Crown Court of spying for Iran, but cleared of carrying out a bomb hoax.

The jury convicted Khalife, 23, of breaching the Official Secrets Act and Terrorism Act, after 23 hours of deliberation, but he was acquitted of perpetrating a bomb hoax. He pleaded guilty part way through his trial to escaping from HMP Wandsworth in September 2023.

Khalife’s actions could have put military personnel’s lives at risk and “prejudiced” the UK’s national security, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said. Bethan David, from the CPS, said: “As a serving soldier of the British Army Daniel Khalife was employed and entrusted to uphold and protect the national security of this country. But, for purposes of his own, Daniel Khalife used his employment to undermine national security.

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“He surreptitiously sought out and obtained copies of secret and sensitive information which he knew were protected and passed these on to individuals he believed to be acting on behalf of the Iranian state. The sharing of the information could have exposed military personnel to serious harm, or a risk to life, and prejudiced the safety and security of the United Kingdom.

“The prosecution was able to use mobile phone evidence, notes written by Khalife himself and CCTV footage to piece together and demonstrate that Khalife had gathered and shared much of this classified information, accepted hundreds of pounds for his efforts and even travelled to Turkey as part of his unlawful conduct.

“It is against the law to collate and share secret and sensitive information for a purpose against the interests of the United Kingdom. Such