Mistakenly Freed Sex Offender Jailed Again After Biting Police Officers
A convicted sex offender, who previously sparked a national manhunt after being mistakenly freed from prison, has been sentenced to 26 weeks in jail for punching and biting two police officers during a confrontation at a London Underground station.
Violent Confrontation at Blackhorse Road Station
At Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court on Friday, Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, a 24-year-old Algerian asylum seeker, was sentenced for assaulting two police officers at Blackhorse Road Underground station in east London on July 20. The court heard how the violent altercation unfolded after an off-duty officer intervened in what appeared to be a theft attempt.
Prosecutor Kevin Kendridge detailed how Pc Bradley Glynn, who was off-duty and traveling on a train, noticed Kaddour-Cherif taking a mobile phone from a sleeping Tube passenger. The officer snatched the handset from Kaddour-Cherif's pocket, returned it to the owner, and ordered the would-be thief to leave the train.
Escalation of Violence
Mr Kendridge explained that Pc Glynn observed Kaddour-Cherif leave the train but remain standing next to the doors on the platform, suggesting he intended to reboard. "He shouted the word 'thief' to attract attention, hoping the defendant would go away," said the prosecutor.
The situation quickly escalated when Kaddour-Cherif punched Pc Glynn to the left side of his head with a closed fist, prompting the off-duty officer to retaliate. Pc Jason Norton, who was on duty at the station, joined the scuffle to defend his colleague as Kaddour-Cherif threw several punches.
"Together they tried to take control of the defendant, but he managed to punch Pc Glynn again and also bite him," Mr Kendridge told the court. "He slammed Pc Norton against a wall and dug his face into Pc Norton's arm, at which point the officer shouted 'don't bite me'."
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
The court was shown disturbing images of bite marks left on one officer's arm, while Pc Norton expressed distress and concern about potential illness transmission from the attack. At a hearing earlier in January, Kaddour-Cherif pleaded guilty to two charges of assaulting an emergency worker, though he claimed he hadn't known the men were police officers at the time.
Magistrate Elizabeth Robb imposed the 26-week prison sentence and ordered Kaddour-Cherif to pay £154 in compensation to the officers he attacked. "It was a serious assault in both cases, prolonged and quite nasty," she remarked during sentencing.
Defendant's Outburst and Background
Appearing via videolink from HMP Pentonville, Kaddour-Cherif launched into a rant about how his crimes were being characterised and accused his own lawyer of not reading a prepared statement. "How could I fight two guys? It was two on one. I'm not that strong," he protested. "They are lying." He also claimed to have been attacked and stabbed while in prison.
Kaddour-Cherif has been overstaying his visa in the UK since 2020 and has accumulated multiple criminal convictions, including a previous incident of assaulting an emergency worker. In November 2024, he became a registered sex offender after being convicted of exposing himself in a London park.
Mistaken Release and Subsequent Re-arrest
The Algerian national gained national attention last November after his mistaken release from HMP Wandsworth on October 29, 2025. This occurred after he was found not guilty of breaching sex offender register requirements, but prison authorities failed to realise he should have remained in custody to await trial for burgling a garage in Walthamstow to steal bicycles.
The administrative blunder was only discovered when court officials attempted to arrange a prison videolink for a hearing in early November and were informed he had been released. At the time of his mistaken freedom, Kaddour-Cherif was also awaiting trial for carrying a knife in Earlswood and had just been charged with handling stolen goods relating to two women's bank cards.
Metropolitan Police officers re-arrested Kaddour-Cherif on November 7, 2025, near Finsbury Park following a tip-off from a member of the public. After returning to custody, the Whitechapel resident pleaded guilty to the burglary and knife offences, as well as failing to surrender to court, receiving an 188-day prison sentence this week.
Current Status and Pending Matters
The Highbury court was informed that Kaddour-Cherif has already served that sentence but remains in Home Office custody at the prison, where he is due to be questioned again about his asylum claim. He was previously taken into immigration custody last June as his criminal offending increased but was swiftly released from the detention centre on bail.
Kaddour-Cherif continues to deny the charge of handling stolen goods and is scheduled to stand trial next month at Croydon Magistrates' Court. His case has highlighted ongoing concerns about accidental inmate releases and security measures within the prison system.
