Key facts
- A 25-year-old man, Imran Chowdhury, has denied assisting escaped prisoner Daniel Khalife.
- Chowdhury is accused of giving Khalife £400 in cash after his escape from HMP Wandsworth in September 2023.
- Khalife, a former British army soldier, escaped by hiding under a food delivery van.
- Khalife was found guilty in November 2024 of escaping prison and spying for Iran.
- Chowdhury appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court and was bailed to appear at Snaresbrook Crown Court on February 4.
A 25-year-old man, Imran Chowdhury, has pleaded not guilty to assisting escaped prisoner Daniel Khalife, who was convicted of spying for Iran. Chowdhury appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court, accused of meeting Khalife after his September 2023 escape from HMP Wandsworth and giving him £400 in cash.
The court heard that the money allegedly enabled Khalife to purchase food, clothing, and mobile phone top-ups. Khalife, a former British army soldier, escaped by strapping himself to the underside of a food delivery van. He was on the run for three days before being apprehended.
Chowdhury was arrested in January 2024 and charged in December via post. He was bailed with conditions to reside at his home address in Chingford, east London, and is scheduled to appear at Snaresbrook Crown Court on February 4 for a hearing deemed too serious for the magistrates' court.
Khalife, 23, was found guilty in November 2024 of escaping prison and breaching the Official Secrets and Terrorism Acts. He had already admitted to the escape charge after changing his plea during his trial. The court also heard details about the escape, including that the food delivery truck was allowed to leave the prison despite an alert that an inmate was missing. A witness described seeing a man perform a "pencil roll" from beneath the van at a traffic light.