Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, a registered sex offender who was mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth alongside William “Billy” Smith, has been apprehended after being on the lam for several days.
Kaddour-Cherif, a 24-year-old individual from Algeria, was released in error on October 29 due to a mix-up by prison officials who mistakenly categorized his custodial sentence for possessing a knife as a suspended one in the system. He is a convicted sex offender with a history of indecent exposure, for which he received a community order and was placed on the sex offenders’ registry for five years. Video footage captured the moment of his arrest at 11:30 am in Finsbury Park, north London.
The Metropolitan Police disclosed that a member of the public spotted the sex offender this morning, leading to a swift arrest by officers.
In a statement posted on X, the Met Police stated, “Officers have arrested Brahim Kaddour Cherif who was released in error from HMP Wandsworth on 29 October. Cherif was spotted by a member of the public in Blackhorse Lane, Islington just before 11.30am. Officers responded immediately and he was arrested.”
During the arrest, a police officer noted that Kaddour-Cherif bore a resemblance to the wanted individual, identified by his “distinctive wonky nose,” despite the 24-year-old claiming, “I am not Brahim.” Kaddour-Cherif protested the situation by shouting about the mistake in his release. Police officers were observed comparing his face to pictures of the wanted individuals on their phones.
The Met Police confirmed, “His identity was verified, and he was arrested for being unlawfully at large. Additionally, he was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker in a prior incident. He is now in police custody, and the Prison Service has been notified.”
The prison release error, which occurred on October 29, was only reported to the London Metropolitan Police on November 4, several days after the incident. By then, Kaddour-Cherif had been at large for almost a week. After an extensive search across London, he was returned to Wandsworth, as authorities had reason to believe he had ties to Tower Hamlets and spent time in Westminster.
Although Kaddour-Cherif had been serving a sentence for trespass with intent to steal, his past convictions included indecent exposure. It has been revealed that he is not an asylum seeker but is facing deportation for overstaying his visa.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy commended the efforts of the police and HM Prison and Probation Service in locating and detaining Kaddour-Cherif, acknowledging the challenges in the prison system and the need for significant reforms to prevent such release errors in the future.
The recapture of Kaddour-Cherif follows the surrender of Smith, a convicted fraudster mistakenly released on Monday, who turned himself in to the prison authorities. Smith calmly walked back into custody at the Victorian prison after being dropped off in a truck and briefly stepping outside for a cigarette.
