Week-Long Manhunt Concludes in North London Arrest
A high-profile police search for a wrongly released prisoner has ended with the arrest of Brahim Kaddour-Cherif in North London. The 24-year-old Algerian national was detained in Finsbury Park more than a week after being accidentally freed from HMP Wandsworth.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed Kaddour-Cherif was arrested on Blackstock Road at approximately 11:30am on Friday after being spotted by a vigilant member of the public. Officers responded immediately to the sighting, bringing the extensive manhunt to a close.
Systemic Failures in Prison Service Exposed
Justice Secretary David Lammy acknowledged the serious problems within the prison system, stating the government had inherited a service in crisis. "I'm appalled at the rate of releases in error this is causing," Mr Lammy said, while admitting there was "a mountain to climb" to resolve the issues.
Kaddour-Cherif had been serving a sentence for trespass with intent to steal and had previous convictions for indecent exposure. Shockingly, prison authorities only notified police about the mistaken release three days after it occurred on October 29, significantly delaying the search operation.
Dramatic Arrest Scene Captured on Camera
Sky News footage showed the moment of Kaddour-Cherif's arrest, where he initially denied his identity while wearing a grey hoodie and black beanie. When officers showed him his photograph, he responded: "Everyone knows him, he's in the news."
As police handcuffed him, Kaddour-Cherif protested his treatment, telling bystanders: "Look at the justice of the UK, they release people by mistake, after this they 'ah ah ah', it's not my f****** fault."
The Metropolitan Police revealed the search had required significant resources and confirmed Kaddour-Cherif was arrested for being unlawfully at large and on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker in a previous incident.
In response to the scandal, Mr Lammy has ordered new tough release checks, commissioned an independent investigation into systemic failures, and begun overhauling archaic paper-based systems still used in some prisons.
