A former British soldier who escaped prison ahead of his trial was found guilty at a UK court on Thursday of spying for Iran but cleared of a bomb hoax charge.
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A jury at Woolwich Crown Court in southeast London found army soldier Daniel Khalife, 23, guilty of espionage and terrorism charges, including eliciting or attempting to elicit information likely to be useful to a person preparing an act of terrorism.
Prosecutors said he could have “seriously harmed” military personnel and “prejudiced” national security.
Khalife was found to have breached the Official Secrets Act and the Terrorism Act, having gathered “a very large body of restricted and classified material” while posted in the UK and the United States.
Prosecutors said he played a “cynical game” after he was contacted by a man linked to Iranian intelligence when he joined the army.
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They said he subsequently told Britain’s overseas intelligence agency MI6 he wanted to be a double agent.