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22m ago

Police Launch Double Manhunt After Two Prisoners Mistakenly Released From HMP Wandsworth

The incidents underscore mounting concern over release checks at Wandsworth, prompting an independent review.

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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

  • Metropolitan Police are searching for Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, 24, who was wrongly freed on October 29 and reported to police on November 4, giving him a six-day head start.
  • Kaddour-Cherif is a registered sex offender with a prior indecent exposure conviction and was serving time for trespass with intent to steal; he is not believed to be an asylum seeker.
  • Surrey Police are also hunting Billy Smith, 35, who was accidentally released on Monday after being sentenced to 45 months for multiple fraud offences and has links to Woking.
  • Justice Secretary David Lammy said he was outraged and confirmed an independent investigation led by Dame Lynne Owens, alongside tougher checks on prisoner releases.
  • Official data show 262 prisoners were released in error in the year to March 2025, and HMP Wandsworth—already in special measures—faces criticism for poor record-keeping and for delaying notification to police.