Man pleads not guilty to assisting former soldier Daniel Khalife after escape from prison

A man has denied assisting former soldier Daniel Khalife after he escaped from Wandsworth Prison.

Imran Chowdhury, 25, is accused of helping the 23-year-old, who spent four days on the run after clinging to the underside of a lorry to escape the prison on 6 September 2023.

Chowdhury appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty.

He was told the charge against him is too serious to be dealt with at magistrates’ court and was asked to attend a hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 4 February.

Chowdhury was bailed with conditions to live at his home address in Parade Gardens, Chingford, north-east London.

Khalife used a sling made from trousers to cling to the bottom of a food delivery truck to flee the Category B prison.

In November last year the former lance corporal in the Royal Signals was found guilty of spying for Iran.

Jurors at Woolwich Crown Court found he had breached the Official Secrets and Terrorism Acts.

He had already admitted escaping from Wandsworth Prison and been cleared of carrying out a bomb hoax.

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