A former British soldier accused of espionage has admitted that he escaped from a London prison by clinging to the underside of a delivery truck.
Danijel Kalif (23) pleaded guilty today in the court in Woolwich because he ran away.
He continues to deny breaching Britain's Official Secrets Act by gathering information useful to an enemy, allegedly Iran, as well as breaching terrorism laws and planting fake bombs at a military base.
Calif escaped from Wandsworth prison in September 2023 by using a belt made from trousers to tie himself to the underside of a food truck.
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He was arrested while cycling by a canal in west London three days later after an intensive nationwide manhunt that included helicopter searches and extra security checks at major transport hubs.
Caliph told the court that he escaped in the hope of being recaptured and sent to another prison, where he thought he would be safer.
Prosecutors told the jury that Khalif joined the army at 16 and was a promising soldier, but was told he would not be able to fulfill his goal of joining an intelligence unit because his mother was from Iran.
Prosecutors allege that Khalif passed classified information to an Iranian intelligence agent.
He says the information was worthless and that he hoped to act as a double agent on behalf of Great Britain because he was inspired by a plot in the spy series "Homeland".
"I was never really a spy," Kalif said this month.
"I didn't do anything that harmed our national security. I wanted to put myself in a position where I could help my country," he explained.
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