British Ex-Soldier Found Guilty of Spying for Iran After Bizarre Escape

After a dramatic escape from custody, Daniel Khalife was convicted of spying for Iran, revealing the absurdity and naïveté of his espionage attempts.

After a dramatic escape from a London jail that involved strapping himself to the underside of a food-delivery truck, Daniel Khalife has made headlines again. The 23-year-old former British soldier was found guilty of espionage for Iran in a case that left authorities embarrassed and the public bemused.

Khalife’s prison escape lasted three days, sparking a nationwide manhunt. The court proceedings at Woolwich Crown Court delved into the ludicrous motivations behind his actions, which he claimed were inspired by watching the acclaimed series "Homeland." However, this assertion did little to offset the seriousness of the charges he faced.

Convicted of collecting intelligence beneficial to Iran, Khalife was acquitted of planting fake explosives at his military base. His defense attorney described his attempts to infiltrate the espionage world as impressively misguided, labeling them as more akin to “Scooby Doo” antics than any sophisticated spy thriller.

The details of his espionage effort were less James Bond than slapstick; prosecutors noted one instance where Khalife was instructed to retrieve cash from a park, which turned out to be left in a rather unorthodox spot: a bag meant for dog waste. This episode exemplified the clumsiness pervading his foray into spying, painting him as less of a cunning double agent and more of an amateur caught in his own misadventures.