Sex Offender Apprehended After Public Tip-Off
A second inmate who was accidentally released from a UK prison has been tracked down and arrested by the Metropolitan Police. Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, a 24-year-old Algerian national, was picked up in the Islington area after spending almost a week on the run.
Details of the Arrest
The arrest on Friday, November 7, was triggered by an alert member of the public. At 11:23 am, a call came in reporting a sighting of a man resembling Kaddour-Cherif near Capital City College on Blackstock Road. Police officers responded swiftly, detaining a suspect just seven minutes later at 11:30 am.
After his identity was confirmed, Kaddour-Cherif was arrested for being unlawfully at large. He was also held on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker from a previous incident. He is now back in custody, and the Prison Service has been officially notified.
Criminal Background and Immigration Status
Kaddour-Cherif, who also goes by the name Ibrahim, was convicted in November 2024 for indecent exposure related to an incident in March. This conviction led to him being placed on the sex offenders register for a period of five years.
His most recent jail term, however, was for the offence of trespass with intent to steal. He had also recently appeared in court for failing to comply with his sex-offender requirements.
Authorities clarified that he is not an asylum seeker. He originally entered the UK legally on a visitor visa in 2019 but overstayed. Deportation proceedings were already underway at the time of his mistaken release from prison.
The Arrest Scene and Public Involvement
Footage from the arrest showed Kaddour-Cherif wearing glasses, a grey jumper, a black headband, dark green trousers, and a backpack. When initially questioned, he denied being Brahim, reportedly stating, “everyone knows him, he’s in the news.” Officers then compared his face to a printed image and re-cuffed him.
The crucial tip came from Nadjib Mekdhia, a homeless Algerian man living near Finsbury Park. Mekdhia said he recognized Kaddour-Cherif from a newspaper photo and immediately called 999. He expressed pride in doing the right thing and stated he did not want individuals like Kaddour-Cherif in his community.
Systemic Failures and Government Response
This incident is the latest in a series of embarrassing blunders for the UK prison system. It comes just after another inmate, 35-year-old Billy Smith, was also mistakenly freed from the same HMP Wandsworth on Monday before turning himself in.
These recent errors follow the wrongful release of Ethiopian migrant and notorious sex offender Hadush Kebatu from HMP Chelmsford, a case that sparked nationwide protests earlier this year. Kebatu was eventually arrested and deported on October 28.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy confirmed the arrest and addressed the underlying issues, stating that the government inherited a prison system “in crisis.” He emphasized that such mistaken releases are unacceptable and announced the implementation of new release checks, an independent investigation into systemic failures, and a wider overhaul of outdated prison processes.
