The tearful kin of fugitive Daniel Abed Khalife have appealed for him to offer himself up and blamed the British Military for his present predicament.
“If I may speak to him, I’d inform him to finish this and provides himself up, regardless that I perceive he’s afraid,” the unnamed relative mentioned.
Describing him as a “very, very clever, simple going and sort boy”, they mentioned that he had modified previously yr and had develop into “scared to speak about it”. They added that “the military has to reply for what occurred”.
Daniel Khalife’s household have described him as an ‘simple going and sort boy’
(PA)
The continued seek for the suspected terrorist and former soldier is because of enter its fourth day, with the Metropolitan Police confirming their first sighting of Khalife from a member of the general public.
The 21-year-old escaped Wandsworth jail on Wednesday morning by clinging on to the underside straps of a BidFood supply van because it exited the gates at 7.32am.
Chatting withThe Occasions, his relative urged Khalife to offer himself up however didn’t consider he would hunt down his household whereas he evades the police. “He would by no means wish to trigger us any issues. He loves us very a lot,” they mentioned.
Whereas police stay “open-minded” to the prospect that Khalife may have fled the nation, they consider it’s “more than likely” he’s inside the UK and search efforts have been targeting London and the West Midlands.
Helicopters and police search groups have been noticed at Richmond Park, whereas airports and ports have elevated their safety at border crossings.
On the time of his escape, Khalife had been awaiting trial in November after being charged with terror offences and acts in opposition to the Official Secrets and techniques Act. They embody a bomb hoax at an RAF base in Stafford, whereas it has been reported that he was allegedly attempting to cross data to Iran.
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He escaped whereas clinging on to a meals supply van
(The Metropolitan Police)
The relative instructed The Occasions that Khalife’s household have been secular Iranians who have been opposed to the current regime, though they didn’t marketing campaign in opposition to it.
He had solely visited the nation on two events as as a child and as a younger little one, along with his relative including: “Danny doesn’t know Iran, he loves this nation.”
The previous pc networks engineer, who had joined the British Military in 2019, had been raised alongside his sister by their single mom at a flat in Kingston, south-west London.
It has been reported that whereas he was estranged from his father for a number of years, that they had spoken since he has been held on remand in jail.
“Some individuals want steering. Danny wanted somebody to inform him and he didn’t have that. One single mother or father can’t try this, youngsters should be sorted,” the relative mentioned.
Regardless of his mom’s efforts to influence him to attend sixth-form school, he as an alternative joined the military and was initially a diligent soldier.
Khalife was being held on remand at HMP Wandsworth in London (Yui Mok/PA)
(PA Wire)
“It gave the impression to be what he wanted, that steering,” the relative mentioned. “However the military has to reply for what occurred.
“He has been within the military for 4 years, since 2019. I don’t know what they’ve executed to him.”
After initially being arrested on a separate matter in January 2022, he was bailed however rearrested in January this yr on terror fees.
A earlier listening to at Westminster Magistrates Courtroom heard that he went lacking for 3 weeks earlier than he was discovered “in or close to his automotive” and charged over the hoax bombs.
The previous British Military officer was wearing a prepare dinner’s outfit
(Met Police)
“Two years in the past he was fairly comfortable, he mentioned he by no means needed to go away, he mentioned they have been good individuals after which one thing occurred final yr,” the relative mentioned.
“He was scared to speak about it and so he ran away. I don’t consider the allegations, he spent 4 years within the military, it’s simply foolish to think about he would betray them.”
The Ministry of Defence confirmed that Khalife had been discharged from the military in Might of this yr as a result of fees in opposition to him.
Police have described the primary sighting of Khalife at Wandsworth roundabout as “important” and have provided a £20,000 reward for any data which ends up in his arrest.
