BIRMINGHAM, England

A former British soldier who spied for Iran and staged a dramatic escape from a London prison has been sentenced to 13 years and three months behind bars on Monday.

Daniel Khalife, 23, broke out of HMP Wandsworth in September by strapping himself to the underside of a food delivery truck using a makeshift sling fashioned from kitchen trousers. His escape triggered a nationwide manhunt involving helicopters, police dogs, and hundreds of officers. He was recaptured three days later in west London.

At the time of his escape, Khalife was being held on remand on espionage charges under the Official Secrets Act.

Prosecutors said he had leaked sensitive information to Iranian handlers over two years after realizing his ambitions of becoming a high-level British intelligence officer were unlikely to materialize.

Sentencing him at Woolwich Crown Court, Justice Cheema-Grubb described Khalife as an “attention seeker” and a “dangerous fool.” She handed down a 13-year, three-month sentence, with an additional year on license after his release.

Khalife’s escape led to heightened security measures at UK ports and airports, as well as an internal review of security procedures at Wandsworth prison.