Sex Offender Mistakenly Released from Prison Found and Arrested
A large-scale manhunt was launched after Brahim Kaddour Cherif, a sex offender, was accidentally released from HMP Wandsworth prison.
Details of the Case
The Metropolitan Police were alerted to the error on Tuesday and immediately deployed officers to locate Cherif, who is 24 years old. He was convicted in November 2024 for indecent exposure related to an incident in March of the same year. Cherif received an 18-month community order and was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years.
Suspect and Location
Cherif, an Algerian national, was believed to have connections to Tower Hamlets and was known to frequent Westminster.
Arrest Incident
"At 11.23am on Friday, 7 November, a call was received from a member of the public reporting a sighting of a man they believed to be Brahim Kaddour-Cherif in the vicinity of Capital City College on Blackstock Road in Islington. Officers responded immediately and at 11.30am detained a man matching Cherif's description. His identity was confirmed and he was arrested for being unlawfully at large. He was also arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker in relation to a previous unrelated incident."
Police Statement
The suspect was apprehended near Capital City College in Islington shortly after being sighted by the public, leading to his arrest for unlawful release and an unrelated assault allegation involving an emergency worker.
Author's summary: A sex offender mistakenly released from prison was quickly found and arrested after a public sighting triggered a fast police response, preventing further risk to the community.