Daniel Khalife pleads guilty to Wandsworth prison escape mid-trial

The former British soldier Daniel Khalife has pleaded guilty mid-trial, admitting to escaping from Wandsworth prison last September.

The 23-year-old, who is in the middle of giving evidence at his trial in Woolwich Crown Court, initially pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Yesterday morning, he pleaded guilty, with the jury formally returning a guilty verdict on the charge of escaping from lawful custody.

Khalife continues to deny three other charges of gathering information useful to an enemy, collecting a list of Special Forces soldiers that would be useful for terrorism, and perpetrating a bomb hoax.

The trial began last month, and Khalife has already given evidence for three days.

According to the BBC, the court heard that he admitted escaping from Wandsworth Prison by hanging a makeshift sling under a food delivery lorry. He was recaptured three days later.

In court, Khalife said he believed that if he escaped he would be put in the high security unit at Belmarsh Prison where he said he would be safer.

The trial continues.

Pictured top: Daniel Khalife (Picture: The Met)