Released Prisoner and Registered Sex Offender Arrested After Public Sighting
Brahim Kaddour Cherif, a registered sex offender mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth, was apprehended following a public tip-off that led to a swift police response.
Background and Offense
Cherif, 24, was convicted in November 2024 for indecent exposure stemming from an incident earlier that year. He received an 18-month community order and was placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years.
Police Response and Arrest Details
- The Metropolitan Police were notified about Cherif’s accidental release on Tuesday, prompting an extensive search to locate him.
- Cherif, an Algerian national, was known to frequent the Tower Hamlets and Westminster areas.
- On the morning of Friday, 7 November, a member of the public spotted him near Capital City College on Blackstock Road in Islington and contacted the police.
- Officers detained Cherif at 11:30 am, confirmed his identity, and arrested him for being unlawfully at large.
- He was also arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker related to an earlier, unrelated incident and taken into custody.
Official Statement
"At 11.23am on Friday, 7 November, a call was received from a member of the public reporting a sighting of a man they believed to be Brahim Kaddour-Cherif in the vicinity of Capital City College on Blackstock Road in Islington. Officers responded immediately and at 11.30am detained a man matching Cherif's description. His identity was confirmed and he was arrested for being unlawfully at large. He was also arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker in relation to a previous unrelated incident. He has been taken into police custody. The Prison Service has been informed."
Summary
The quick collaboration between the public and police led to the swift capture of Brahim Kaddour Cherif, preventing further risks after his erroneous prison release.