Daniel Khalife will have a very close eye on him in jail after his notorious escape from prison proved 'horrific' failings within the system, an expert has said. The former soldier who spied for Iran and handed over military secrets before escaping from HMP Wandsworth has now been jailed for a total of 14 years and three months. The 23-year-old broke out of the category B prison in September 2023 by clinging to the underside of a food delivery truck.

His escape sparked a nationwide manhunt to find the prisoner, who was eventually caught three days later along a canal towpath in Northolt, Middlesex, by a plainclothes detective. The convict had been serving in the British Army when he "exposed military personnel to serious harm" by collecting sensitive information and passing it to agents of the Middle Eastern country. He was paid in cash for the secret information and told handlers he would stay in the military for 25-plus years for them. At his sentencing today, in mitigation for Khalife, Gul Nawaz Hussain KC told the court that Khalife's escape from Wandsworth exposed 'horrific failings' within the prison system, which are now being addressed.

Mr Hussain said his escape attempt was "basic" and involved carabiners and a sling. And now a prison expert has said Khalife's new life in prison will be closely guarded. "Daniel Khalife's life in prison is set to be far more restrictive," Keith Hudon explained. The Prison Reform Expert believes authorities will likely impose heightened security measures to prevent any further attempts, which could include being held in a high-security unit, increased surveillance, limited privileges, and tighter controls on his movements.

Whether or not Khalife will become a target by fellow inmates is still up for debate, the expert argues, as he reckons he will receive a mixed reception. "Some may admire his audacity, seeing him as a symbol of defiance against the system, while others - particularly those facing long sentences - may resent the extra scrutiny and tightened security his actions have brought to the prison," Mr Hudson explained. "Ultimately, his treatment and interactions will depend on the specific risk assessments made by prison officials, but one thing is certain: he will be watched very closely.".

Gul Nawaz Hussain KC compared Khalife's actions to "007 and Scooby Doo" at today's sentencing. He told Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb: "What Daniel Khalife clearly chose to do was not born of malice, was not born of greed, religious fervour or ideological conviction. His intentions were neither sinister nor cynical." Some of the documents he had forged to pass to the Iranians were "laughably fake", Mr Hussain told the court. Khalife committed the crimes between the ages of just 17 and 20, the judge heard, when he had "a sense of unswerving self-belief and gross overestimation of ability".

"We say it was offending that was born of professional disappointment, a desire to demonstrate genuine utility and that led him to a grossly naive, rose-tinted view of patriotism," Mr Hussain said. The lawyer also suggested Khaife had escaped because he was scared of being transferred to category A Belmarsh Prison. Sentencing on Monday, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said: "In my judgement, you did not start out intentionally to harm the interests of the United Kingdom." She added that he acted "because of a selfish desire to show off". She added that his "dangerous and fantastical plan demonstrates your immaturity".