'My son does not live in reality': Daniel Khalife's mother begs him to seek help
12 September 2023, 14:48 | Updated: 15 September 2023, 09:48
Daniel Khalife's mother has told her son to seek psychological help, saying he "does not live in reality."
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Farnaz Khalife, 47, told The Times that her son, Daniel Khalife 'does not live in reality.'
Khalife, 21, the terror suspect who is charged with escaping from Wandsworth Prison, attended a child and mental health services clinic as a teenager, it has emerged.
She explained how Khalife always had an interest in the forces and wanted to join the Special Air Services (SAS)
Khalife joined the Army Foundation College in Harrogate when he was 16, before training in Pirbright, Surrey.
He then joined the Defence School of Communications Information Systems in Blandford Forum in Dorset.
Eventually, he was posted to the 1st Signal Brigade of the Royal Signals at Beacon Barracks, Stafford.
Ms Khalife told the Times: "The army was so strict. He was disciplined, he was happy"
She then said how her son "hardly called" once he turned 18.
Read more: Terror suspect Daniel Khalife charged with escaping custody at HMP Wandsworth
She recalled the last time she saw her son was at Christmas on the way back from visiting her daughter: "I hugged him but he was embarrassed.
"He was really happy and he looked well."
After Khalife's arrest, she notified the army but said: "It doesn't seem like he was getting help at all.
"I told him to go to the army doctor to get help but I don't think he did."
She added: "When he was arrested, he laughed and winked.
"That's not normal. This is not reality, it is a fantasy."
Ms Khalife was born in Iran and does not support the regime.
She had found out about her son's prison escape whilst visiting her daughter.
She said: "I got off the bus and opened my phone. His name came up, I didn't read the whole thing, I thought he must have killed himself."
After escaping from HMP Wandsworth on the 6th of September, the terror suspect was on the run for 72 hours until he was arrested in Northolt on the 9th of September.
Khalife appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday and has since been charged with escaping custody.
Before his arrest, he had been working in the kitchen of the Category B prison.
Natasha Devon says Khalife escape is 'symbolic' of wider problem
It is reported that Khalife may have used bedsheets to escape prison.
Met chief Sir Mark Rowley previously said that the jailbreak was carefully planned ahead of time and not opportunistic.
Sir Mark told Nick Ferrari that Khalife's escape was "clearly pre-planned"."
The fact he could strap himself onto the bottom of the wagon, there’s obviously some logistics involved," he said.
"Just to work out a prison escape, and how you can do the logistics of it and get the right equipment, and how you’re going to do it, it’s unlikely to be something you do on the spur of the moment."
