Wandsworth prison manhunt: What we know about Brahim Kaddour-Cherif and William Smith

Wandsworth prison manhunt: What we know about Brahim Kaddour-Cherif and William Smith

Following two recent mistaken releases at Wandsworth prison in London, a manhunt is now underway for the two men who were wrongly freed. The first individual, Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, a 24-year-old Algerian man and a sex offender, was released in error last Wednesday. The second individual, William Smith, convicted of fraud, was also mistakenly released on the same day he was sentenced to 45 months in prison.

Regarding Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, it is reported that he entered the UK legally but has now overstayed his visa and is in the process of deportation. He has ties to Tower Hamlets and is known to frequent the Westminster area. As for William Smith, he is described as clean-shaven, bald, and was last seen wearing specific clothing items. He has connections to Woking but could be anywhere in Surrey, according to the local police force.

The circumstances surrounding the mistaken releases are still unclear. In Kaddour-Cherif’s case, little information is available about how the error occurred and why authorities were not notified sooner. On the other hand, Smith’s release was due to a clerical error at the court level. Despite corrections being made by the court, the information was erroneously sent to the wrong recipient.

During a recent Prime Minister’s Questions session, Justice Secretary David Lammy was questioned about the incident but refused to address whether more asylum-seeking offenders had been mistakenly released. Later, it was revealed that Kaddour-Cherif had indeed been released in error from Wandsworth prison. The situation has sparked outrage among politicians and the public, with calls for thorough investigations and accountability for the errors

Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More