Man found guilty of helping escaped prisoner Daniel Khalife

A man has been found guilty of helping escaped prisoner Daniel Khalife while he was on the run.

Adeel Khan, 32, from Waltham Forest in east London, assisted Khalife from within jail and helped supply him with money in the hours after his high-profile September 2023 escape.

Another man, Imran Chowdhury, 26, from Chingford, east London, has been cleared of the same charge.

Khalife sparked a nationwide manhunt when he absconded from HMP Wandsworth, where he was awaiting trial on spying charges, by tying himself to the bottom of a food delivery truck.

He was later sentenced to 14 years and three months for spying for Iran.

Khan worked with Khalife in the prison kitchen at HMP Wandsworth, Snaresbrook Crown Court previously heard.

In the hours and days after his escape, Khalife called Khan several times using phones borrowed from members of the public, the court heard.

Khan's name was found in a red diary carried by Khalife when he was arrested.

Inside was his name, illegal prison phone number, personal mobile number, and Snapchat account, according to photos shown to the court.

During the trial, the prosecution said Khalife had also been carrying around £200 in £20 notes, which it alleged had been taken from a £400 withdrawal made by Chowdhury at a cash machine in Richmond, south-west London, on the day of the escape.

Shortly after Khalife absconded from prison, at around 20:41 BST, Khan messaged his then-girlfriend Chowdhury's bank details and told her to "put 120£ in this ac… please thank u baby".

After the £120 arrived in Chowdhury's Barclays account at 21:55, he and Khalife met in "a meeting that Khan had been instrumental in arranging", the court heard.

He then withdrew £400 for Khalife, the prosecution said.

On Tuesday, the jury deliberated for more than four hours before finding Khan guilty, but cleared Chowdhury.

Chowdhury's defence barrister told jurors he had not known he was dealing with an escaped prisoner, describing Khalife as a spy who "knows how to deceive".

James Hasslacher said Chowdhury was of "good character", with no previous convictions and a job earning a good salary at the Telegraph newspaper.

Judge Murray Shanks said the jury's findings suggested Chowdhury "didn't know what the hell was going on", adding that it seemed a "reasonable verdict, I have to admit".

Khan will be sentenced on 4 September and has been remanded into custody.