18 January 2024 , 16:49
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A 24-year-old man has been arrested in connection to the alleged prison escape of Daniel Khalife last year.
The ex-soldier hit the headlines last year after allegedly breaking out of HMP Wandsworth and going on the run. This led to a national hunt that eventually ended in his capture. At the time, police alleged he had escaped by strapping himself to the bottom of a food delivery van before he was said to have vanished into London for over 75 hours.
This week, counter terror cops swooped on a young man accused of assisting 22-year-old Khalife in his alleged escape. A 24-year-old was arrested on Wednesday morning on suspicion of assisting an offender. He was taken into custody at a London police station and bailed until a date in late April, the Metropolitan Police said.
The arrest by the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command is said to be linked to the alleged escape of 22-year-old Khalife from HMP Wandsworth in September 2023. Khalife pleaded not guilty to charges alleging he escaped from HMP Wandsworth, and his trial is due to commence at the Old Bailey in October 2024.
Detective Chief Superintendent Gareth Rees, of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “This arrest follows months of careful investigation into the alleged escape and inquiries remain ongoing into this.
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“We understand that there will be significant public and media interest in this arrest but with Khalife now charged and awaiting trial, it is extremely important that people do not report, comment or share information, including online, which could in any way prejudice these future court proceedings.”
HMP Wandsworth where Khalife is accused of having escaped from (PA)In the early hours of September 6, last year, Khalife is alleged to have escaped from Wandsworth Prison. A huge manhunt was launched that saw airports and ports hit before he was eventually caught and arrested on the morning of September 9, still in London.
Officers hauled him from a pushbike as he cycled along a canal towpath in west London. Other allegations levelled at Khalife also include that on or before January 2 last year he also allegedly placed an item that could make someone believe it would explode or ignite, in Beaconside, Staffordshire.
In the same location, on August 2 2021, he is accused of eliciting or attempting to elicit information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism. Lastly, Khalife is charged with collecting, recording, publishing or communicating information that could be useful to an enemy between May 1 2019 and January 6 2022, contrary to the Official Secrets Act.
Khalife served as a soldier before being held in prison (Sky News)
The moment Khalife was arrested in west London (The Sun / News Licensing)On the day Khalife allegedly escaped from HMP Wandsworth, some 80 prison officers didn't show up to work. This was almost 40 per cent of staff. Prison minister Damian Hinds released the official information in response to a written parliamentary question from Labour's Rosena Allin-Khan. Mr Hinds wrote that 1,594 prisoners were held at HMP Wandsworth on 6 September, the day Khalife escaped. He said 125 Band 3 Prison Officers at the prison attended their shift on that day, which equates to 61% of all staff due to attend.
The Tory minister maintained that overall staffing levels "were above the minimum staffing level required by the prison’s Regime Management Plan to deliver a safe and decent regime". He added that "all staff in both the kitchen and the gatehouse were on duty on 06 September" and that an initial investigation into Khalife’s alleged escape "did not find the staffing level to be a contributing factor".