Escaped Prisoner Recaptured and Returned to Jail
Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, a 24-year-old Algerian convicted sex offender, has been arrested and returned to HMP Wandsworth after nearly a week on the run.
Background and Escape Details
Kaddour-Cherif was accidentally released on October 29 due to a prison system error, where his custodial sentence for possessing a knife was mistaken for a suspended one. He was initially serving time as a registered sex offender and had previously been convicted of indecent exposure on November 24, for which he received a community order and was placed on the sex offenders' registry for five years.
Apprehension in Finsbury Park
Police launched a two-day manhunt after his escape. Incredible footage showed the moment he was apprehended at 11:30 AM in Finsbury Park, north London. A member of the public spotted him in Blackhorse Lane, Islington, prompting a swift police response.
“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.” — Met Police, via X
During the arrest, an officer confirmed Kaddour-Cherif’s identity, noting his "distinctive wonky nose," despite the man initially denying his identity by saying, "I am not Brahim."
Summary
Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, mistakenly freed due to a prison error, was caught after days at large thanks to a public tip-off and police action in north London.