Overview
- The Metropolitan Police confirmed a manhunt for an Algerian asylum seeker mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth last week, with officers only notified on Tuesday.
- During PMQs, James Cartlidge repeatedly pressed David Lammy to confirm no other erroneous releases had occurred since the Kebatu case, and Lammy did not provide that assurance.
- Lammy clashed with Cartlidge, telling him to “Get a grip, man,” while pointing to newly introduced prison checks and criticising the previous government’s record.
- Last month’s mistaken release of Ethiopian national Hadush Kebatu prompted a 48-hour manhunt after an alleged assault on a 14-year-old, and Lammy reiterated his apology for the anxiety caused.
- The recurrence has intensified scrutiny of HMP Wandsworth’s procedures, previously questioned after Daniel Khalife’s 2023 escape, and of how quickly prisons alert police.