JAILBREAK terror suspect Daniel Khalife was a Call of Duty nut whose escape might have been inspired by the game, a former pal said last night.
Khalife was “obsessed” with the game and might even have been inspired by it to join the British Army in the first place.
The first person shooter has a famous prison break scene in one of the Modern Warfare games.
Khalife was previously stationed at the Ministry of Defence’s Beacon Barracks in Stafford where he was serving in the 22 Signal Regiment.
A former soldier said about his time in Dorset: “He was the first person in his family to sign up to the Army.
“He was a bit of a loner, he was a big gamer – loved Call of Duty.
“He was very quiet and studied a lot, the top of the class in the troop, but was also known for being a bit of a drunk and aggressive.
”Khalife described his role on social media as being a computer specialist with skills including information technology and system administration.”
Back in 2019, the British Army ran ads calling on members of the so-called Playstation generation and lovers of games like Call of Duty and Fortnite to join the ranks.
Khalife, who before his escape was on remand ahead of his six-week trial, was meant to be working in the kitchens when he sneaked out and strapped himself underneath a delivery lorry.
Dressed as a chef, the former Royal Signals soldier evaded guards and cameras as the lorry was driven out as he clung on using makeshift straps taking him out of the jail in a matter of minutes.
The former soldier said other members who trained with Khalife thought he should have been kept in Belmarsh.
He said: “He’s a trained soldier.
“They should have been watching him a lot closer.
“He’s brave enough and clever enough and has the training to think of stuff like that.
“They should have been watching him a lot closer, especially an intelligent soldier like him.
“He’s a Signal, he’s smart.”
