Ex-soldier Daniel Khlaife ‘went on shopping spree after prison escape’

An ex-soldier was able to wander round London into a corner shop and a pub and even went on a shopping spree after using a bed sheet to escape from Wansdworth Prison, a court heard.

Woolwich Crown Court was shown CCTV during the trial of the former British soldier 23, who is accused of breaking out while working in the kitchens on September 6 last year.

The incident triggered a huge nationwide manhunt, but he allegedly acted like a free man, until he was caught on a canal towpath in Northolt, north London, on September 9.

CCTV images seen by the jury showed that he often changed clothes from a range of items kept in a Waitrose bag.

The jury heard he went in the Rose of York pub in Richmond, west London, on the evening of September 6 and asked to use the landline to call friends.

Bartender Sinead Shepherd told the court he called numbers from a small black notebook, which was “strange” and talked for about 15 minutes.

Various still images from CCTV recordings across the capital London showed Khalife inside shops including Marks and Spencer, Sainsburys, McDonald’s and Mountain Warehouse.

He was seen to enter a newsagents in Grove Park Road, Chiswick, London, on September 8 last year, the jury was told.

He is alleged to have fled his Army barracks in January 2023 when he realised he would face criminal charges over allegations he passed classified information on to Iran’s intelligence service.

Later, while on remand, he is alleged to have escaped from HMP Wandsworth in September 2023 by tying himself to the underside of a food delivery truck using bedsheets.

He denies committing an act prejudicial to the safety or interests of the state, eliciting information about members of the armed forces, perpetrating a bomb hoax and escaping from lawful custody.

But, the court heard that once free, Khalife bought a phone for £89 from Gift Shop in Hammersmith.

Jurors heard that he escaped the Category B prison while working in its kitchens.

No one saw him get underneath the food delivery vehicle that drove him out of the prison grounds, but the court heard that when its driver Balazs Werner was later shown a picture of him, he said: “That’s the guy who was supposed to help me but didn’t show up.”

Mr Werner arrived with his lorry at around 6.30am, and was checked by security guards as usual.

The driver said as he drove the lorry out after making a delivery of food, guards said someone was missing and searched it again with a mirror at the back, but then let him go, which puzzled him as he thought there should be a “lockdown.”

Skye Vokins told the court he saw a man drop from the bottom of the truck, when it was later at a pedestrian crossing, and make a “pencil roll” out, before casually walking off.

Police later searched the lorry and sniffer dogs took them underneath.

Prosecutor Tom Williams said: “Officers then searched underneath the truck. They discovered a makeshift sling between the chassis rails, behind the rear differential.

“The sling was attached to the metal frame, width-ways, with two metal carabiner clips on each end of the sling to secure it in place.

“There were clean scuff marks underneath the truck, which was otherwise dirty underneath, suggesting that a person had been there, using the makeshift rope to support his weight while holding on to the frame of the truck.”

The trial continues.