British Army member Daniel Abed Khalife accused of ‘bomb hoax’ at RAF Stafford appears in court

A serving member of the British Army has been accused of being behind a bomb hoax at an RAF base.

Daniel Abed Khalife is alleged to have placed “three cannisters with wires at RAF Stafford with the intention of inducing in another a belief that the said article was likely to explode or ignite and thereby cause personal injury or damage to property” in January.

The 21-year-old of Beacon Barracks, Beaconside, Stafford, had a brief preliminary hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Saturday (28 January). Clean-shaven Khalife appeared in person at court, wearing a grey jumper and blue jeans.

He was charged on Friday (27 January) over two incidents at RAF Stafford in Beaconside in August 2021 and January of this year. Khalife was represented by Michael Jones and spoke to confirm his age, name and address.

On 2 August 2021, he is accused of eliciting or attempted to elicit information “about an individual who was or had been a member of His Majesty’s forces which was of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism”. This is contrary to section 58A of the Terrorism Act 2000.

The second charge alleges he committed a “bomb hoax” by placing an article with intent on 2 January this year, court documents show. He allegedly placed “three cannisters with wires at RAF Stafford with the intention of inducing in another a belief that the said article was likely to explode or ignite and thereby cause personal injury or damage to property”, contrary to section 51 of the Criminal Law Act 1977.

At the request of prosecutor Tom Williams, District Judge Annabel Pilling adjourned plea before venue proceedings until 3 February. She remanded Khalife in custody, to be produced at the same court on that date.