Former UK Soldier Daniel Khalife Pleads Guilty to Escaping From Prison
The Facts
Former British soldier Daniel Khalife has pleaded guilty to having "deliberately escaped" from lawful custody at Wandsworth Prison in London in September last year.
On Monday, Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb told jurors at Woolwich Crown Court that Khalife had changed his plea to guilty part way through his trial, after being asked if he wanted the escape charge put to him again.
The Spin
Narrative A
While the British prison system does have its flaws, it's crucial to understand this escape from HMP Wandsworth in the context of Khalife's military training. He wasn't a usual prisoner, but rather a former Signals soldier charged as a potential spy for Iran.
Narrative B
Despite his military training, Khalife's escape was no exception. Wandsworth is a poorly-managed prison that has long been understaffed and underfunded — it is a place where miscounts and confusion are evidently commonplace. It's inconceivable that a terrorism suspect was allowed to work in the kitchen, enabling him to escape underneath a departing vehicle.
