Former soldier Daniel Khalife, accused of escaping from Wandsworth prison in London, has pleaded not guilty to the charge of escaping from lawful custody. The 21-year-old appeared in court via video link from HMP Belmarsh, where he is currently held.
The alleged escape took place on September 6, and Mr. Khalife reportedly spent four days on the run. It is said that he escaped by strapping himself to the underside of a food delivery vehicle using bedsheets.
His dramatic capture occurred when a plain-clothes counter-terrorism officer arrested him while he was riding a bicycle along a canal towpath in Northolt, west London, on the morning of September 9.
During his appearance at the Old Bailey on Thursday, Mr. Khalife faced the charge of escaping from HMP Wandsworth. When asked by the court clerk whether he pleaded guilty or not guilty, he firmly responded, “I am not guilty.”
Mr. Khalife’s case is set to continue, with a further hearing scheduled for October 13 at the Old Bailey. His trial is due to take place at Woolwich Crown Court on November 13.
In addition to the escape charge, Mr. Khalife faces three other charges related to events that occurred before his alleged escape. These charges include collecting information deemed useful to an enemy, eliciting information about members of the armed forces likely to be beneficial to a person preparing an act of terrorism, and perpetrating a bomb hoax.
