A manhunt ensued in November following the accidental release of a convicted sex offender, Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, from HMP Wandsworth. The Algerian national, who overstayed his UK visa since 2020, had been convicted for indecent exposure in a London park in 2024.
Recently, Kaddour-Cherif pleaded guilty to burglary for breaking into a garage in Walthamstow to steal bikes and carrying a knife in Earlswood. Judge Simon Heptonstall remanded him back into custody for sentencing on January 27, also considering his missed court appearance in September while on bail.
Kaddour-Cherif’s mistaken release, similar to another case involving Hadush Kebatu, raised concerns about the Government’s handling of such incidents. Official figures disclosed a significant rise in erroneous prisoner releases, with 262 cases reported from July to March 2025, a 128% increase from the previous year.
Despite initially denying the charges, Kaddour-Cherif was detained awaiting trial last year. His accidental release on October 29 was only discovered on November 4 when authorities attempted to set up a court hearing videolink. He was apprehended in Finsbury Park three days later following a public tip-off.
Previously, Kaddour-Cherif received an 18-month community order and was placed on the sex offenders’ register for indecent exposure. Efforts to deport him included detention at an immigration center in June, but he was released on immigration bail shortly after.