Algerian sex offender released by mistake is caught in London

An Algerian-born sex offender who was mistakenly released from Wandsworth Prison in South London has been caught by police after over a week on the run, according to the BBC on November 7th. Brahim Kaddour-Cherif had left the jail on October 29th but the Metropolitan Police was only informed  of the error on November 4th, making it harder to track his whereabouts. Kaddour-Cherif was reported by a member of the public who recognised him as he was sitting in a cafe in Finsbury Park, North London, leading to his dramatic arrest. He is now back in custody.

Kaddour-Cherif, 24, had been sentenced to 18-month community service for indecent exposure in November 2024, but he is currently serving time for trespass. Court records reveal that he has been accused of 11 offenses over the past 2 years, including assault on a police officer and possession of cocaine.  He first entered the UK in 2019 on a visit visa and was then flagged as a possible over-stayer in 2020, although there has been no attempt to deport him. It is understood that he is not an asylum seeker.

Another prisoner, William ‘Billy’ Smith, had also been accidentally released just days later from the same jail, but he handed himself in voluntarily on November 6th. He had been sentenced to 45 months for fraud and was able to leave Wandsworth Prison after officers were mistakenly told that his sentence was suspended.

These serious errors have sparked heavy criticism of Justice Secretary David Lammy, who couldn’t provide more details about the situation during a parliamentary session, with Shadow Justice secretary Robert Jenrick claiming Lammy had “either lied or has absolutely no clue what’s going on in his department”.

In a statement after Kaddour-Cherif’s capture, embattled Lammy defended his position, stating, ” We inherited a prison system in crisis and I’m appalled at the rate of releases in error this is causing. I’m determined to grip this problem, but there is a mountain to climb which cannot be done overnight”.

The incidents also testify of a struggling prison system, particularly with regards to Victorian-era Wandsworth Prison, which had already been flagged up as “overcrowded” with inmates being kept in cramped and dirty conditions.

BBC