Two individuals are on trial accused of assisting escaped prisoner Daniel Khalife, a former soldier who absconded from HMP Wandsworth in September 2023. Adeel Khan, 32, and Imran Chowdhury, 26, have pleaded not guilty to charges related to Khalife's escape, which involved him tying himself to the underside of a delivery truck.
During the trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court, the prosecution outlined its case, stating that Khan provided instructions from within the prison while Chowdhury acted as the "man on the ground," supplying Khalife with money after his escape. The court heard that Khan and Khalife had worked together in the Wandsworth prison kitchen and likely knew each other well.
Evidence presented to the jury included a red diary found in Khalife's possession upon his arrest. The diary reportedly contained Khan's name, an illegal prison phone number, a personal mobile number, and a Snapchat account. Khalife was also carrying approximately £200 in cash, which the prosecution alleges was part of a £400 withdrawal made by Chowdhury from an ATM in Richmond on the day of the escape.
Chowdhury was reportedly paid £120 for his alleged role. Shortly after Khalife's escape, around 8:41 p.m. BST, Khan sent a message to his then-girlfriend, Nazish Mahmood, providing Chowdhury's bank details and requesting her to deposit £120. The prosecution stated that Khalife called Khan multiple times using borrowed public phones in the hours and days following his escape.
According to the prosecution, Chowdhury's bank account received the £120 at 9:55 p.m. Later that evening, at 10:38 p.m., CCTV footage showed Chowdhury and Khalife walking along a street in Richmond before entering an alleyway. The prosecution described this as a meeting that Khan had been instrumental in arranging.
Khalife, who was sentenced to 14 years and three months in 2024 for spying for Iran, had admitted to escaping from Wandsworth prison. He was also found guilty of spying but acquitted of a bomb hoax charge related to his time as a soldier. The trial of Khan and Chowdhury is ongoing.