Alleged Iranian spy asked MI6 to be double agent, court hears, as messages revealed

A erstwhile British worker accused of being a spy for Iran doubly contacted MI6 to connection his services arsenic a treble agent, a tribunal has heard.

Daniel Khalife, present 23, denies gathering accusation for Iran, compiling a database of peculiar forces soldiers, perpetrating a weaponry hoax and escaping prison.

Woolwich Crown Court heard Mr Khalife sent 2 emails to MI6, saying helium wanted to enactment arsenic a treble cause for them.

The tribunal was told the assemblage had seen formation bookings and photographs that amusement Mr Khalife besides travelled to Turkey successful August 2020, wherever helium near a bundle intended for Iranian quality agents.

Mr Khalife - whose relation successful the Royal Corps of Signals gave him entree to highly delicate accusation - had offered to enactment arsenic an cause for the Islamic Republic for 25 years successful messages to Iranian quality handlers, the prosecution said.

One of those handlers, who utilized the sanction David Smith, told Mr Khalife that helium would beryllium paid. One connection read: "We look guardant to [seeing] you successful Tehran ...pal."

Mark Heywood KC, for the prosecution, told the assemblage that the sojourn to Istanbul came "with a presumption to spell onwards", adding: "That was, says the prosecution, an effort astatine slightest to meet, engage, face-to-face directly. The archetypal effort was to spell to Iran."

The tribunal heard Mr Khalife went to Turkey successful August 2020, staying astatine the Bomonti Hilton Hotel successful Istanbul, but did not spell to Iran.

After the trip, Mr Khalife sent an audio connection to an chartless person, saying: "I delivered a bundle to them which I don’t deliberation I should archer you but conscionable don’t notation it to anyone.

"But they haven’t responded to maine for astir I deliberation 8 days truthful I was conscionable wondering if thing has happened due to the fact that helium hasn’t answered his telephone oregon anything."

The tribunal heard pictures were recovered fro Mr Khalife's telephone aboriginal that period of delicate communications instrumentality including a USB instrumentality and a Selex Sentinel handset connected to the UK SECRET network.

By February 2021, helium was astatine Fort Hood successful Texas for a three-month subject workout called Warfighter.

More pictures were recovered connected his telephone of screens of subject equipment, and a password sheet, the tribunal heard. While helium was successful the United States, successful April 2021, helium was granted NATO SECRET information clearance.

But the assemblage heard that soon afterwards helium was sending messages connected Telegram to a interaction successful Iran. He was inactive successful Texas astatine the time.

The tribunal besides heard that Mr Khalife, who allegedly escaped from HMP Wandsworth past year, won a cupful for Best Junior Solider successful his squadron, and was recommended for promotion to Lance Corporal aged conscionable 20.

Giving evidence, Captain Lewis Fox, of 16 Signal Regiment, confirmed that successful December 2020 Mr Khalife was awarded the trophy, which was "rare" for a signaller.

Mr Khalife, who joined the Army aged 16, was besides described arsenic a "master of Falcon" - a blase subject connection system.

He was recommended for promotion successful September 2021 astatine an unusually aboriginal signifier of his career.

But the prosecution says that from the property of 17, Mr Khalife had contacts with and was passing accusation to Iran.

In August 2019 helium collected a tiny integrative container from Mill Hill Park successful North London which helium aboriginal told constabulary contained $2,000 (£1,534) successful cash.

He doubly contacted MI6 done a signifier connected the agency's website, disclosing the currency postulation and stating: "I privation to enactment arsenic a treble cause for the information service."

There is nary grounds that helium received a reply.

On 23 August 2019 Mr Khalife near this connection connected the MI6 web leafage form:

"Hello astir 5 months agone a antheral from the caller skyline organisation contacted my successful narration to providing the Iranian authorities with information. They said that they archetypal needed maine to make trust, truthful I made a fake papers and sent it to them. After 1 week they payed maine 2,000 dollars successful a driblet disconnected constituent successful Barnet. The crushed wherefore I agreed to bash this is due to the fact that I privation to enactment arsenic a treble cause for the information service."

A 2nd connection was near connected 10 October 2019:

"I contacted the information work astir 1 period ago, nevertheless I deleted the gmail relationship that I gave you due to the fact that I didn’t consciousness arsenic though I took the applicable precautionary measures to support my individuality hidden. 7 months agone I was contacted by an idiosyncratic from the caller skyline organisation successful Iran, they caller my occupation and they thought I had entree to accusation that would beryllium invaluable to them, This successful information was not true, I believed I could usage this caller interaction successful Iran from the revolutionary defender corp to contiguous myself arsenic a treble cause for the UK information services, I gathered already leaked info from wiki leaks and made it look similar it was caller accusation to beryllium sent to them. After 2 weeks they said that I had gained they afloat spot and sent beryllium $2K successful a driblet disconnected determination successful Barnet, There is much worldly to adhd nevertheless I don’t person the clip to constitute it each here."

Gul Nawaz Hussain KC said his lawsuit Mr Khalife wanted to articulation the peculiar forces, but was told not to use "because of wherever his parents are from".

Asked astir Mr Khalife, Capt Fox said helium would person "advised against going for peculiar forces" arsenic it was "a precise agelong process and the vetting is successful the past 2 weeks".

He added it was important to "manage expectations for immoderate soldiers".

In an physics enactment to himself, antecedently work to the court, Mr Khalife wrote that aft being told helium would beryllium improbable to walk the vetting process helium "decided to commencement my ain intel cognition to beryllium that I was capable to bash this".

In the enactment helium added that helium decided to usage his transportation to Iran to his advantage.

The assemblage has heard the Mr Khalife was archetypal arrested successful January 2022, and charged successful January 2023.

He is alleged to person escaped from Wandsworth situation 8 months aboriginal by strapping himself underneath a nutrient transportation van earlier being recaptured aft 3 days.

The proceedings continues.