Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, the 24-year-old Algerian sex offender mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth, has been arrested in Islington, north London. The Metropolitan Police confirmed he was detained near Capital City College on Blackstock Road just before 11:30am on Friday, following a public sighting.
Dramatic footage from Sky News showed reporter Tom Parmenter confronting Kaddour-Cherif, who initially denied his identity but later admitted it, shouting: “It’s not my f***ing fault. The judge told me I was released on bail.” He blamed the authorities for the error, saying: “You release people by mistake.”
Kaddour-Cherif was accidentally freed on October 29, but police were only alerted on Tuesday, sparking a manhunt. He was serving a sentence for trespass with intent to steal and had a prior conviction for indecent exposure. He has also been arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker in a previous incident.
The mistaken release adds to pressure on Justice Secretary David Lammy, following a similar blunder involving Hadush Kebatu, a deported migrant. An independent investigation into erroneous releases is underway, with stronger security checks announced for prisons.
