"Dangerous fool"14 years in prison for British James Bond wannabe
dpa
3.2.2025 - 15:22
After his escape from Wandsworth prison in London, wanted posters are put up in search of the fugitive.
KEYSTONE
A young British soldier joins the Iranian secret service out of frustration. After he is caught, he keeps the whole country on tenterhooks in a spectacular operation.
DPA
03.02.2025, 15:22
dpa
No time? blue News summarizes for you
A British ex-soldier has been jailed for 14 years for espionage and a prison break.
He felt like James Bond, his lawyer defended him.
In 2023, the 23-year-old escaped from custody in London's Wandsworth prison.
A former British soldier has been jailed for more than 14 years for spying for Iran and making a spectacular escape from prison. This was decided by a judge in London.
A jury had considered it proven that the 23-year-old had passed on secret information such as a list of soldiers and members of the SAS special unit to Iranian contacts.
However, the case had mainly caused a stir because the young man had pulled off a cinematic escape from London's Wandsworth prison, where he was on remand, in the late summer of 2023. He tied himself up under a van with items of clothing.
🚨 BREAKING: Former soldier Daniel Khalife has been jailed for 14 years after “betraying his country” by spying for Iran and escaping from prison
The hunt for the escapee kept the country on tenterhooks. He was only caught after several days. In court, the 23-year-old and his lawyer played down the accusations of espionage. He had hoped to become a double agent and thought he could be a James Bond, his defense lawyer had said.
More "Scooby-Doo" than James Bond
In reality, his behavior was more reminiscent of the cartoon series "Scooby-Doo". He had only given the Iranians false or useless information.
The accused described himself as a patriot. He had been angry when a superior told him, with reference to his Iranian-born mother, that he could not pass the strict security check and fulfill his dream of working as an intelligence officer.
BREAKING: Daniel Khalife has been sentenced to 14 years and 3 months for spying and escaping prison pic.twitter.com/SYuyzK58Lb
The judge described the young man as a "dangerous fool" who craved attention. He actually had what it takes to be a model soldier. But by passing on personal data, he had put his comrades in serious danger, she said, explaining the sentence.