Adeel Khan, 32, from Waltham Forest, east London, has been found guilty of assisting former soldier Daniel Khalife in his escape from HMP Wandsworth in September 2023. Khalife, who was sentenced for spying for Iran after a 2024 trial, escaped by tying himself to the underside of a food delivery truck.
Inside help from prison kitchen
Khan, who worked with Khalife in the prison kitchen, provided assistance from inside the jail, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard. He asked Imran Chowdhury, 26, of Chingford, east London, to withdraw £400 for Khalife after the escape and arranged for Chowdhury to be paid £120 for the job. Chowdhury was cleared of the same charge.
Evidence from diary and phone records
A red 2023 diary found in Khalife's possession when he was arrested contained Khan's name, an illegal prison phone number, his personal mobile number, and his Snapchat account, according to photos shown to the court. Khalife also had about £200 in £20 notes, which the prosecution said was part of a £400 withdrawal made by Chowdhury at a Richmond ATM on the evening of the escape.
After his escape, Khalife called Khan multiple times using phones of members of the public in a pattern of "regular and persistent" contact, the court heard. At 8.41pm, Khan messaged his then-girlfriend Nazish Mahmood with Chowdhury's bank details, adding: "Put 120£ in this ac... please thank u baby." The £120 arrived in Chowdhury's Barclays account at 8.55pm.
CCTV footage and meeting
In a meeting that Khan had been "instrumental" in arranging, CCTV footage showed Chowdhury and Khalife walking along George Street, Richmond, at 10.38pm before entering an alleyway. The back street had a cashpoint out of CCTV view, and the prosecution said Chowdhury withdrew £400 from it.
Chowdhury's defence barrister, James Hasslacher, told jurors the defendant had not known he was dealing with an escaped prisoner, describing Khalife as a spy who "knows how to deceive." He said Chowdhury was of "good character," with no previous convictions and a good salary at The Telegraph.
Verdict and sentencing
A jury deliberated for four hours and 36 minutes before finding Khan guilty by a majority of 11 to one on Tuesday. Judge Murray Shanks said the jury's findings suggested Chowdhury "didn't know what the hell was going on," adding it seemed a "reasonable verdict, I have to admit." Khan was remanded into custody to be sentenced at the same court on September 4.
