Ex-soldier's prison truck escape plan worked better than expected

Daniel Khalife‚ a 23-year-old ex-soldier made headlines in early fall 23 when he pulled-off an un-expected escape from HMP Wandsworth. Today at his on-going trial he finally said “Im guilty“ to the escape charge

The crafty escapee used a self-made sling (attached to food delivery trucks bottom) which he created using kitchen-wear. His main reason for running away wasnt freedom but rather a wish to be moved to a high-security unit: he didnt want to stay with certain inmate groups

I accept that I left the prison and I didnʼt have any permission. I was never a real spy. I would do anything to go back to my career

Before his real escape Khalife tried a different approach - he planned a fake escape-attempt in mid-aug 23; however prison staff didnt report it to management. This made him choose a more direct solution. Five days before his actual breakout he tested his sling setup on a truck: nobody noticed it

During his 3-day taste of freedom the ex-soldier:
* Got new clothes at M&S
* Bought McDonalds coffee
* Walked near Thames river

While Khalife now accepts guilt for escaping he still fights other charges related to Official Secrets Act terrorism laws and a bomb-threat case. The court process keeps moving forward