Wrongly Freed Man Returns to London Jail After Manhunt
Surrey Police confirmed that Billy Smith turned himself in to HMP Wandsworth after being mistakenly released. His return came amid a continuing manhunt for another wrongly freed inmate, intensifying scrutiny on the Justice Secretary.
Ongoing Search for Second Prisoner
Police are still searching for 24-year-old Algerian convict Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, who was accidentally released from HMP Wandsworth in south-west London on October 29. The error was not reported to the Metropolitan Police until Tuesday.
Accidental Release of Billy Smith
William Smith, 35, was sentenced to 45 months for fraud on Monday but was released from the Category B prison the same day. He later returned voluntarily to HMP Wandsworth, arriving with his partner, whom he embraced before surrendering to prison staff.
Government and Justice System Under Fire
The incidents have caused significant embarrassment for the Government and raised questions about prison management. They follow another mistaken release last month involving migrant offender Hadush Kebatu from HMP Chelmsford.
Justice Secretary Faces Criticism
Justice Secretary David Lammy has been criticized for not addressing the issue in the House of Commons despite being aware of it and reportedly having a statement ready, as reported by The Times.
He has been accused of failing to clarify whether more asylum seekers were wrongly freed, though later said he was “absolutely outraged” by the incident.
Sources claim Lammy chose to withhold his statement to avoid interfering with the police investigation.
Author’s Summary
Two wrongful prisoner releases have sparked a political storm and renewed scrutiny of the UK’s justice system after one inmate returned to custody and another remained at large.