Exclusive
Law officers now have 28 days to decide if the term handed to him was tough enough
- Julia Atherley, Home Affairs Correspondent
A SPY who escaped jail by clinging to the underside of a food delivery truck will have his sentence reviewed for being too soft, The Sun can reveal.
Ex-soldier Daniel Khalife was jailed for more than 14 years at the start of the month after he was found to have passed secrets to Iran.
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His case has now been referred to the Attorney General Lord Hermer who could send it to the Court of Appeal for reconsideration if he deems the sentence to be unduly lenient.
Law officers now have 28 days to decide if the term handed to him was tough enough.
An AGO Spokesperson said: “We have received a request for this sentence to be considered under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.
“The Law Officers have 28 days from sentencing to consider the case and make a decision.”
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There is a high threshold to increase the sentence, with the judge either needing to have made an error when sentencing or have imposed a term outside of the range.
Khalife had launched a “hare-brained” scheme to become a British double agent, it emerged.
After being paid thousands of pounds to reveal details – including a list of serving soldiers – he told MI6 and MI5 he was working for Iranian agents in the apparent hope he would be turned back against Tehran to fulfil his fantasy.
His solicitor described his actions as more “Scooby Doo” than “007“.
Spooks initially ignored him before passing concerns to cops, who nicked Khalife.
He later escaped jail while on remand by fixing a home-made sling to the truck and was nabbed three days later.
Soldier Daniel Khalife GUILTY of spying for Iran in SAS & SBS betrayal after dramatic prison escape
Khalife, 23, of Kingston, South West London, got six years each for two spying charges plus two years and three months for the jailbreak, to be served consecutively.
Judge Mrs Justice Cheema- Grubb called him a “dangerous fool” at his sentencing at Woolwich crown court on February 3.
She told him: “The oath you took bound you to comply with the Official Secrets Act and compelled you to put the interests of the UK first.
“What a shame, then, you spent more than two years in contact with agents of Iran, a country whose interests do not align with — and at times threaten — those of the UK.
“Deterring others from similar behaviour must be the primary aim of sentencing in this case.”
Referring to his attempt to work as a double agent, she said: “The mere fact that you started on this dangerous and fantastical plan demonstrates your immaturity and lack of wisdom.”
Police had called him the “ultimate Walter Mitty character that was having a significant impact on the real world”.
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