Sex offender mistakenly released from prison found and re-arrested
A large-scale manhunt was launched after sex offender Brahim Kaddour Cherif was mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth prison. The 24-year-old, an Algerian national, was later found and arrested by police.
The Metropolitan Police stated they were informed of Cherif’s release on Tuesday and deployed officers to locate him. Cherif had been convicted in November 2024 of indecent exposure related to a March 2024 incident. He received an 18-month community order and was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years.
Authorities reported that Cherif had connections to Tower Hamlets and was known to frequent Westminster. His accidental release prompted urgent police action.
“At 11.23 a.m. 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 near Capital City College on Blackstock Road in Islington. Officers responded immediately and at 11.30 a.m. detained a man matching his description. His identity was confirmed and he was arrested for being unlawfully at large,” said a Metropolitan Police spokesperson.
Police added that Cherif was also arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker in connection with a previous unrelated incident.
Author’s summary
Brahim Kaddour Cherif, wrongfully freed from HMP Wandsworth, was swiftly recaptured in Islington after a brief manhunt and faces further legal consequences.