How did daniel khalife escape

Questions are being asked as to how a suspected terrorist managed to escape a London prison. He was awaiting trial for providing information about the British army to the enemy. As of Thursday morning, there has been no reported trace of his whereabouts.

John Podmore does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Following the recapture of escaped terror suspect Daniel Khalife, there will no doubt be an inquiry into the prison system and how an inmate managed to apparently strap himself to a van and be driven out under the noses of prison security. As a former governor of HMP Belmarsh and Brixton, as well as a former prisons inspector, I am intimately familiar with the reality behind the intrigue of a prison escape. The current structure of the English and Welsh prison service is predicated on escapes. This was followed by the even more audacious escape of spy George Blake from Wormwood Scrubs in October The resultant furore triggered an inquiry and subsequent report by Lord Mountbatten. A key outcome was the creation of the prison categorisation system, A,B,C,D , which is still in place today.

How did daniel khalife escape

Police and prison staff have been racing to discover how the former soldier and suspected spy managed to escape HMP Wandsworth and disappear amid the morning rush hour. I t was hardly the most sophisticated escape, and it should have been easy enough to prevent. Khalife had secured himself a position working in the prison canteen, considered a plum role for somebody who could be trusted. It was also a place where deliveries would routinely take place, bringing in food to the 1,plus inmates and staff at the south London jail first built in Police were not called by the prison until 8. That may have contributed to his willingness to stage a risky breakout attempt. Khalife had been detained at Wandsworth, a medium security category B prison, since the beginning of the year. On remand, he was facing trial on three charges related to espionage and terrorism, with a full hearing scheduled to start at Woolwich crown court in November. Pictures released on Thursday show a young slim, smiling soldier, who first trained in and joined the Royal Signals. But in January, everything changed. The simple mystery is how Khalife managed to get out. Delivery vans in prison are hardly a novelty and they are subject to security checks as they go in and out. It should have been possible to have spotted the prisoner by using a mirror to search under the van, but he managed to get through the checks. Prison inspectors suggested the state of Wandsworth prison was to blame. In doing so, he was reflecting the findings of a damning inspection he conducted two years ago, in September

The vehicle turned right out of gates onto Heathfield Road, before taking a left onto Magdalen Road. The terror suspect hid under a van to make the prison break.

Airports and ferry terminals have been put on high alert as police fear a terror suspect who escaped from a south London prison on Wednesday may attempt to flee the country. Whole-life sentences: when life in prison actually means life HMP Bronzefield and the ethics of pregnant women in prison. Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives. From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Why was a terrorist suspect in a category B jail; did he get help to break out; and were overcrowding or staff shortages to blame? The recapture of Daniel Khalife will come as a huge relief to Alex Chalk, the justice secretary. These are the biggest questions that remain about the case:. This issue is among those being examined by an immediate review of the circumstances around the escape. Police have suggested Khalife escaped under a delivery van at 7.

How did daniel khalife escape

The Ministry of Justice is highly unlikely to ever publicly confirm all the details. If the escape involved exploiting a very specific security loophole or technique, the last thing that governors need is other prisoners getting the same idea. But what we know about events is clearly very troubling.

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Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email. An investigation and widespread manhunt involving more than officers was launched, with border officials and security at a number of airports and ports across the UK put on alert by the Counter Terrorism Command. However, there is no firm indication this was the case, although the plan to escape under a delivery van, and the use of strapping, suggest some degree of sophistication and premeditation. Daniel Khalife, a former British Army soldier, was charged this January with three offences related to terrorism and espionage and was held awaiting trial at Wandsworth prison, a category B prison in south London. HMP Wandsworth. View offers. She covers UK and world news, as well as writing lifestyle and travel features. Reuse this content. Log In. In August , Khalife was arrested on suspicion of breaching the Official Secrets Act and was bailed and allowed to return to his army base.

News Crime. The year-old ex-soldier, who escaped jail on Wednesday and was at large for around 75 hours, was pulled off a pushbike by a plain-clothes officer just before 11am.

The most famous prison breaks of all time The Explainer Many people have escaped from behind bars over the decades By Justin Klawans Published 16 September From the s — and for the rest of the century — escapes dominated the prison psyche. US Edition. Escape your echo chamber. The UK government said staffing levels were "above the minimum" needed. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails. Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access. A third charge under the Official Secrets Act is added before he is asked to enter pleas. Following the recapture of escaped terror suspect Daniel Khalife, there will no doubt be an inquiry into the prison system and how an inmate managed to apparently strap himself to a van and be driven out under the noses of prison security. He was due to stand trial at Woolwich Crown Court in November.