Wandsworth Prison manhunt: what we learn about Brahim Kaddour-Cherif and William Smith

A search operation is underway after two individuals have been mistakenly launched from London's Wandsworth jail final week.

The first, launched final Wednesday, is Brahim Kaddour-Chérif, a 24-year-old Algerian man and convicted intercourse offender.

The second is William Smith, who was jailed on fraud fees on Monday, solely to be by accident launched later the identical day.

It comes after the shock launch final month of Haddush Kebatu, a migrant intercourse offender Described as “human error” At HMP Chelmsford.

Here's what we all know.

The Metropolitan Police say Brahim Kaddour-Chérif had been “released by mistake” seven days earlier on Wednesday 29 October.

The power mentioned it was not advised of the error at HMP Wandsworth till Tuesday 4 November.

A police spokesperson mentioned, “Officers are carrying out urgent inquiries in an effort to locate him and return him to custody.”

On Monday, Surrey Police appealed for assist to search out William Smith, 35, who was mistakenly launched from Wandsworth. He was launched on the identical day he was sentenced to 45 months in jail for a number of fraud offenses.

Brahim Kaddour-Chérif is a 24-year-old Algerian man and never an asylum seeker.

The Met confirmed he’s a registered intercourse offender and was convicted of indecent publicity in November 2024 regarding an incident in March that 12 months.

He was sentenced to an 18-month neighborhood order and positioned on the intercourse offenders register for 5 years.

Police mentioned he was believed to have hyperlinks to Tower Hamlets and was a frequent customer to the Westminster space.

Cadour-Chérif is known to have entered the UK legally on a customer visa, however has now overstayed and is within the early phases of the deportation course of.

Surrey Police mentioned William Smith, referred to as Billy, was launched on Monday.

At Croydon Crown Court on Monday he was sentenced to 45 months for a string of fraud offences. He appeared through a reside video hyperlink from HMP Wandsworth.

Police described Smith as white, bald and clean-shaven.

He was final seen sporting a white, navy blue tracksuit backside with a white Nike 'tick' on the left pocket and a navy lengthy sleeve jumper with black trainers with the Nike branded 'tick' on the entrance.

The power mentioned Smith has hyperlinks to Woking however could possibly be wherever in Surrey.

We know little or no at this stage about why and the way Kaddour-Chérif was by accident launched.

We additionally don't know why the police weren’t knowledgeable concerning the mistake in releasing him for nearly every week.

Several jail sources say the discharge course of is complicated and bureaucratic, and errors are generally made, together with within the calculation of sentence time.

As far as Smith is worried, the BBC understands he was launched on account of a clerical error at courtroom degree.

He was given a custodial sentence nevertheless it was recorded within the pc system as a suspended sentence.

This was seen by the courtroom and corrected however the correction was despatched to the flawed particular person.

During Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, who was standing in for Sir Keir Starmer, was repeatedly requested by Shadow Justice Secretary James Cartlidge whether or not some other criminals in search of asylum since Epping intercourse offender Haddush Kebatu have been launched from jail in error final month.

Lammy repeatedly refused to reply the query straight however on the finish of the session it emerged {that a} prisoner had been launched by mistake. It refers to Kaddour-Chérif.

BBC political editor Chris Mason mentioned he was advised that Lammy was conscious of the incident main as much as the PMQs, however not whether or not the person was an asylum seeker. The BBC understands they have been advised this in a single day.

29 October: Brahim Kaddour-Cherif has been launched from HMP Wandsworth by mistake

3 November: William Smith is sentenced to 45 months in jail. Later the identical day he was by accident launched from HMP Wandsworth

November 4 at 13:00: Six days later, the Prison Service knowledgeable the Metropolitan Police that the prisoner had been launched in error on 29 October

Night of fifth November: Justice Secretary David Lammy has been knowledgeable concerning the unintended launch

On November 5 at roughly 11:45: Conservators have reportedly realized {that a} wrongfully launched prisoner is at giant

November 5 at 12:00: Asked by shadow justice secretary James Cartlidge whether or not any extra asylum seekers had been wrongly launched because the high-profile case of the Epping intercourse offender final month, Lammy repeatedly refused to reply.

November 5 at 12:43: Cartlidge tells the House of Commons that one other imprisoned asylum seeker was freed in error – Lammy refuses to reply

November 5 at 13:41: Lammy issued a press release saying he was “outraged and horrified by the foreign criminal wanted by the police” and promised that an “urgent search” was ongoing.

November 5 at 16:43: The Metropolitan Police has appealed for Kaddour-Chérif and mentioned “urgent” inquiries are ongoing.

Although he didn’t remark straight on the case throughout PMQs, Justice Secretary David Lammy later mentioned he was “absolutely outraged” and that his officers have been “working through the night”. [Kaddour-Cherif] Back to jail”.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philip said it was “surprising that after once more a Labor authorities has mistakenly allowed a overseas felony to be launched from jail”.

He said Lammy's PMQs appearance was “nothing wanting disgraceful” and accused him of being “dishonest” with the public and Parliament.

Philippe later made a point of order asking Lamy to return to answer questions on the matter.

A spokesman for Sir Keir Starmer said the latest error was “unacceptable” and would be investigated.

Jess Brown-Fuller, justice spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, has called on Lammy to return to the House of Commons to explain “why he did not reply” a question about whether any other prisoners were released in error during PMQs.

Reform Britain leader Nigel Farage called the incident a “farce”.

Roseanna Allin-Khan, Labor MP for Tooting – where the prison is located – said: “Local residents shall be deeply involved. We urgently want solutions from the Government and the Ministry of Justice as to how this was allowed to occur.”

Woking's MP has told BBC Radio Surrey it is “utterly unacceptable” that another prisoner – who has links to the area – has been released from HMP Wandsworth by mistake.

Lib Dem Will Forster, MP for Woking, said it was “utterly unacceptable” that William Smith was released by accident.

“It is completely unacceptable that my constituents in Woking would fear for their safety because of the Government wrongly releasing three prisoners in the space of a week,” he said.

Wandsworth Prison is a Victorian-era facility in south London.

Built in 1851, the complex was originally constructed to house less than 1,000 prisoners.

An August 2024 report by the prison's independent monitoring board found that the number of prisoners in the “crowded, unsanitary” prison had increased to 1,513.

“The wings have been disorganized and workers on most items have been unable to verify the place all of the prisoners have been in the course of the work day,” the report said.

The board said it was unable to check the rolls of prisoners because staff could not provide accurate numbers and one-third of the officers were not available for operational duty on any given day due to illness, restricted duties or training.

In April, HM Prison Inspectorate noted that the population had been reduced to 150, and other “restricted and delicate” improvements had been made.

This jail remained in headlines in 2023 Former British soldier Daniel Khalife Escaped by clinging to the underside of a lorry.