Adeel Khan, 32, has been found guilty of assisting escaped prisoner Daniel Khalife in the hours after his high-profile escape in September 2023. Khan, who worked with Khalife in the prison kitchen at HMP Wandsworth, was convicted on Tuesday by a jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
Evidence presented during the trial indicated that Khan aided Khalife by arranging a meeting and facilitating financial transactions shortly after the escape. In the hours and days following Khalife's abscondment, he made several calls to Khan using borrowed public phones. Khan's name, along with his prison phone number, personal mobile number, and Snapchat details, was discovered in a red diary carried by Khalife when he was apprehended.
Prosecutors stated that Khalife was carrying approximately £200 in £20 notes when arrested, which they alleged originated from a £400 withdrawal made by Chowdhury, Khan's then-girlfriend, at a cash machine in Richmond, south-west London, on the day of the escape. Shortly after Khalife fled prison at around 8:41 p.m. BST, Khan messaged Chowdhury with her bank details, requesting she deposit £120. After the money arrived in Chowdhury's bank account at 9:55 p.m., Khan and Khalife met in what the prosecution described as "a meeting that Khan had been instrumental in arranging." Khan then withdrew £400 for Khalife.
The jury deliberated for over four hours before reaching its verdict. Chowdhury was acquitted, with her defense barrister arguing that she was unaware she was dealing with an escaped prisoner, portraying Khalife as a deceptive individual. The judge, Murray Shanks, suggested the jury's findings indicated Chowdhury "didn't know what the hell was going on," calling it a reasonable verdict. Khan is scheduled to be sentenced on September 4 and remains in custody.