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Police Hunt Two Men Wrongly Freed From HMP Wandsworth, Including Sex Offender

The cases sharpen scrutiny of Wandsworth’s record-keeping practices, including delays in notifying police.

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A Serco security van enters HMP Wandsworth prison in London, UK, on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. The UK's new government said it will release low-risk prisoners after they've served 40% of their sentences, compared with 50% currently, as part of a bid to address an overcrowding crisis in the country's jails. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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Overview

  • Met Police say they were told on 4 November that Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, 24, had been released in error on 29 October, giving him a six-day head start.
  • Kaddour-Cherif, an Algerian national serving time for trespass with intent to steal and previously convicted of indecent exposure, is not an asylum seeker and was in the early stages of deportation after overstaying a visa.
  • Surrey Police are separately searching for William (Billy) Smith, 35, who was freed on 3 November after a court record error despite receiving a 45‑month sentence for multiple frauds and has links to Woking.
  • Justice Secretary David Lammy said he is outraged, highlighted new release checks and an independent investigation led by Dame Lynne Owens, and faces questions over when ministers were informed.
  • The incidents focus attention on systemic failings at HMP Wandsworth, already in special measures, as official data show 262 prisoners were released in error in the year to March 2025, up 128% year on year.