Daniel Abed Khalife: Was terror suspect’s prison escape down to incompetence or collusion?
Daniel Abed Khalife’s escape from Wandsworth prison was either a “giant” blunder or involved “some sort of collusion”, a former governor and inspector has said.
Professor John Podmore, who previously ran HMP Belmarsh, said the terror suspect should have been held on remand at the maximum-security Category A jail rather than Wandsworth.
Speaking to Niall Paterson on the Sky News Daily podcast, he said no one awaiting trial on terror offences should be allowed to work in a kitchen at a Category B prison.
Helicopters circling park near family flat – manhunt latest
Daniel Abed Khalife
Khalife, a 21-year-old former soldier, is believed to have broken out on Wednesday morning by strapping himself to the bottom a food delivery truck.
Prof Podmore said such escapes used to happen in the 1980s but explained any vehicles coming in and out of prisons now go through an airlock, with mirror searches carried out on top and underneath, and people going inside to make checks.
“That’s kind of bog standard, routine security and it clearly didn’t happen,” he said.
Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts
“At best it’s a giant cock-up, at worst there’s some form of collusion.”
The head of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Mark Rowley, told LBC’s Nick Ferrari on Friday his officers are “looking at” whether Khalife was assisted by prison guards or other inmates in his “clearly pre-planned” escape as part of their investigation.
Do you have any information about Daniel Khalife? Speak to Sky News via Whatsapp or email
Former Wandsworth inmate David Shipley, who spent time at the prison between 2020 and 2021, said overpopulation and understaffing was a “huge contributing factor” to the issue of escape.
“Often officers don’t really know the men in their charge by face and by name. They’re not really clear who should be on what wing and in what cell,” he said, speaking on the podcast.
Read more:
What is life like at Wandsworth?
Notorious prison breakouts
Why wasn’t Khalife in Belmarsh?
Former HMP Wandsworth inmate, David Shipley
“When I was at Wandsworth it regularly happened that there was a prison lockdown because they had lost track of a prisoner, who would invariably turn out to be in a different cell, on another wing, or had been released and no one had bothered to record that.”
Mr Shipley described the “complete chaos” inside the prison. He also said remand prisoners were given jobs as they spent longer periods awaiting trial due to delays caused by the COVID pandemic.
HMP Wandsworth has two entry points, with gate 2 used for deliveries
The food lorry would have been subject to security checks, mirrors are used to check no one is on top or under the vehicle
But he said it was “very strange” that an inmate considered a flight risk would be working in a kitchen job, which is considered the most desirable in Wandsworth because of access to food and the time spent out of the cell.
The lorry was stopped in North Sheen after the alarm was raised
“Wandsworth needs to explain how this guy got into that job and then how there was a complete failure to check the van on the way out,” he said.
Prof Podmore said the “old Victorian dilapidated jail” lacked experienced staff, adding: “The problems at Wandsworth in the past and certainly the problems today with the escape are certainly a reflection of the wider malaise in the prison service and the prison service is in absolute crisis.”
Counter-terrorism police are investigating after an incident involving a crossbow and a firearm left two women injured in Leeds.
Police were called to Otley Road at 2.47pm on Saturday to reports of a “serious incident involving a man seen with weapons”, West Yorkshire Police said.
Officers arrived at the scene to find two women injured – and a 38-year-old man with a self-inflicted injury. All three were taken to hospital, with the man held under arrest, but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
“Two weapons have been recovered from the scene, which were a crossbow and a firearm,” Counter Terrorism Policing North East said in a statement.
The incident happened on the ‘Otley Run’ pub crawl, with one venue saying it was closed for the evening due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
Officers guard one of the crime scenes
Officers inside the cordon in Leeds
Counter Terrorism Policing’s statement added: “Due to the circumstances surrounding the incident, Counter Terrorism Policing North East have taken responsibility for leading the investigation with the support of West Yorkshire Police.
“Extensive enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances and explore any potential motivation.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described it as a “serious violent incident” and said she was being kept updated by police.
“Thank you to the police and emergency services for their swift response,” she said. “My thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by this attack.”
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
Wrexham AFC have been promoted for the third season in a row.
The North Wales-based side has gone from the National League to the Championship in just three seasons, under its Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Wrexham were second in the table and had a run of eight games unbeaten ahead of their match against Charlton Athletic on Saturday, which they won 3-0.
Wrexham’s James McClean lifts the League One trophy. Pic: PA
Wrexham’s Dan Scarr celebrates with the fans on the pitch after Wrexham won promotion to the Championship. Pic: PA
It is the first time any club has been promoted for three consecutive seasons within the top five tiers of English football.
The third oldest association football club in the world, Wrexham AFC was bought by Reynolds and McElhenney in 2020, and has since been the subject of a Disney+ documentary, Welcome To Wrexham.
Reynolds, wearing a Wrexham sweatshirt, and McElhenney were pictured celebrating each goal, and after the game, as the fans came onto the pitch at the SToK Cae Ras (Racecourse Ground) to celebrate the victory with the players.
Wrexham co-owners Rob McElhenney (L) and Ryan Reynolds and Ryan’s wife Blake Lively, before the match. Pic: PA
Both stars came onto the pitch after the supporters returned to the stands.
Speaking to Sky Sports, McElhenney praised those behind the scenes, referring to “so many that don’t get the credit they deserve, people who aren’t talked about”.
Reynolds said bringing success back to the club “seemed like an impossible dream” when they arrived in North Wales in 2020.
Wrexham’s Sam Smith celebrates in front of the fans after Wrexham won promotion to the Championship. Pic: PA
He put the three promotions down to “the coaching staff, the greatest dressing room” and an “all for one, one for all” attitude throughout the club, adding he was “speechless with their commitment and their emotion”.
As for the mouth-watering prospect of another promotion to the promised land of the Premier League, the pair agreed it was “for tomorrow”, before ending the interview with a joint mic-drop.
Veteran striker Steven Fletcher said, “as soon as I came to this club, I knew it was something special. We want to go again. We’ll reset in the summer, take a break and go again”.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business3 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway