Sex offender mistakenly released from prison found and arrested
A large-scale manhunt ended after sex offender Brahim Kaddour Cherif, who had been mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth, was located and taken back into custody.
Incident and background
The Metropolitan Police confirmed they were informed on Tuesday about the accidental release of 24-year-old Cherif. Officers were immediately deployed to trace his whereabouts.
According to reports, Cherif was convicted in November 2024 for indecent exposure connected to an incident in March of the same year. He received an 18-month community order and was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years.
Search and arrest
Authorities stated that Cherif, an Algerian national, was believed to have ties to the Tower Hamlets area and was known to visit Westminster as well.
“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,” said a Metropolitan Police spokesperson.
“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.”
Summary
Brahim Kaddour Cherif, mistakenly freed from HMP Wandsworth, was swiftly captured in Islington following a public tip-off and now faces additional charges.