Escaped Prisoner Mistakenly Released Returns to Custody
William Smith, 35, known as Billy, surrendered himself three days after being accidentally freed by staff at HMP Wandsworth. Before re-entering the prison, he calmly smoked a cigarette outside.
Details of the Incident
Smith, a convicted fraudster, walked into the Victorian prison wearing a blue Nike tracksuit shortly after 10:30 a.m., arriving in a flatbed truck. On Monday, police initiated a major manhunt following his erroneous release just hours after being sentenced to 45 months for several fraud charges.
He had appeared at Croydon Crown Court via live video from the prison but was mistakenly set free afterward.
Return to Prison
Photographs captured Smith flanked by prison officers after he turned himself in. Prior to surrendering, he was seen embracing a tearful woman sitting in the van that transported him. Smith declared,
“I’m the prisoner they’re looking for. I’m about to hand myself in.”
He identified himself at the prison entrance and smoked a cigarette outside while two male officers stood nearby. Smith, from Woking, Surrey, appeared to have a brief dispute with one officer before finishing his cigarette and being taken back inside.
An eyewitness commented, “It looked like there was some confusion at first about who he was and what he was there for.”
Summary
Inmate William "Billy" Smith surrendered voluntarily after a mistaken release, ending a brief manhunt and returning peacefully to custody despite initial confusion.
Would you like the text to be more formal or conversational?