Wandsworth Manhunt: Search for Two Prisoners Released by Mistake
A manhunt began after a foreign prisoner was mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth. Police later confirmed a second prisoner was also freed in error.
Details of the Mistaken Releases
Our national correspondent Tom Parmenter reports that the second release occurred five days after the first. The first released inmate was Hadush Kebatu, a migrant sex offender.
About the Released Prisoners
- Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, 24, an Algerian national and registered sex offender.
- William 'Billy' Smith, also released mistakenly from the same prison.
Timeline and Case Summary
Kaddour-Cherif was released on 29 October, but the Metropolitan Police were only notified of this release six days later, giving him an unintended head start before the manhunt began.
He was convicted in November 2024 for an incident of indecent exposure that occurred in March of that year. His sentence was an 18-month community order.
"The Met Police were only informed of his release yesterday - giving him a six-day headstart on authorities after he was released on 29 October."
Summary
Two inmates were mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth, prompting a police manhunt and raising concerns about prison management and communication delays.
Author's summary: Two prisoners were wrongly freed from HMP Wandsworth due to procedural errors, leading to a delayed police response and ongoing search efforts.