Daniel Khalife escaped from HMP Wandsworth
A former head of security at Wandsworth Prison said terror suspect Daniel Abed Khalife’s escape was “at best” a “catastrophic system failure”.
A major manhunt is underway for the former soldier accused of terrorism who is believed to have escaped from a prison kitchen by clinging to a delivery van.
Khalife, a “known flight risk”, went missing in his cook’s uniform from HMP Wandsworth on Wednesday, prompting extra security checks at major transport hubs.
Professor Ian Acheson, a former head of security at Wandsworth, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It’s incredibly embarrassing for the prison service but it’s not entirely surprising given what we know about what’s going on Wandsworth at the moment,” as he said the prison “is in freefall”.
The 21-year-old was being held in prison while awaiting trial for terror charges and Official Secrets Act offences. The allegations include placing cannisters with wires on a desk at an RAF base in an apparent bomb hoax.
Khalife has connections to Kingston and police believe he is “most likely” in London, although he may have travelled further afield.
