Suspected rapist who was accidentally freed from prison managed to flee the country weeks before his trial – as judge demands the government intervenes to bring him back
At a further hearing on February 6, when the defendant was not brought to court from prison, a blunder was made that led to his accidental release.
Advertisement
The judge said: ‘By error on the part of HMCTS (HM Courts & Tribunals Service) at the court, the court issued a notice of grant of bail.’
Advertisement
He said there appeared to be confusion because the defendant faces a second criminal case in which he has been granted bail.
Mr Edmunds added: ‘A mistake was made assuming he was on bail on both matters.’
Advertisement
The defendant’s barrister told the court last Friday that her client left the UK for a European country after his mistaken jail release – adding that, although he says he wants to return to face a trial, he is unable to travel.
Advertisement
‘He is now in a position where he is unable to return to the jurisdiction,’ she said.
‘He is unable – without further assistance from the state – to return to the country.’
Advertisement
Read More
More than 90 prisoners have been freed from jail by mistake in last seven months, government reveals
Advertisement
[block_4]
Advertisement
The court was told he left the UK on the passport issued by the country where he originates, and cannot now obtain a visa to return because his British passport is still held by the police and he also cannot say on which date he will return.
The judge said: ‘What I consider is required is confirmation from Foreign or Home Office that confirms that arrangements are in place, that if the defendant chooses to engage with them, will allow him to return to the UK.
‘In short, a clear and practical plan.’
Advertisement
Advertisement
A further court hearing is due to take place on Tuesday to determine whether the trial next month can go ahead and whether the defendant will be able to return to the UK.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: ‘An individual was mistakenly released on bail on Friday 6 February. His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service is investigating this matter, and we are urgently working with the police to return them to custody.
‘We understand the distress errors such as this can cause to those affected and instances like this have exposed deep-rooted issues across the broken justice system the Government inherited.
Advertisement
Advertisement
‘We’re determined to bear down on these mistakes and keep the public safe, which is why Dame Lynne Owens is undertaking an independent investigation which we expect to report back in the coming weeks, and we are investing millions to modernise technology to replace archaic paper-based systems.’
The problem of prisoners being accidentally released came into sharp focus last autumn when it emerged that HMP Wandsworth had wrongly freed a convicted sex offender as well as a fraudster.
The fugitive was filmed stepping out of a white van and returning to HMP Wandsworth, where he smoked a cigarette and smiled at TV crews before strolling back into the prison gates to begin his 45-month sentence.
His accidental release was confirmed just hours after a manhunt was launched for Algerian sex offender Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, 24, who was at large since being mistakenly freed from the south London prison on October 29.
+5
View gallery
Fraudster William ‘Billy’ Smith, 35, smiled to cameras as he handed himself back into HMP Wandsworth
Advertisement
Advertisement
+5
View gallery
Brahim Kaddour-Cherif is pictured when being rearrested in November 2025 after he was accidentally released from prison
Read More
Algerian migrant sex offender accidentally freed from prison gets 26 weeks for attacking police
At the time of his release Kaddour-Cherif – who has been overstaying his visa in the UK since 2020 and he was convicted in 2024 for exposing himself in a London park – was supposed to be held in custody awaiting trial.
Advertisement
Advertisement
He was facing three live criminal cases and was under investigation for a fourth offence.
Official figures showed that in the year to March 2025, 262 inmates had been mistakenly let out – a 128 per cent increase on the 115 in the previous 12 months.
Advertisement
Advertisement
The Government responded to the crisis with promises to improve systems in prisons that deal with releases.
An independent review has been set up, led by Dame Lynne Owens, which is looking at release errors and improving transparency on release data.
Releases in error can include misplaced warrants for imprisonment or remand, sentence miscalculations or can be as a result of mistakes by courts or other authorities, according to the Ministry of Justice.
Kaddour-Cherif has since been sentenced to 26 weeks in prison for assaulting two police officers at Blackhorse Road Underground station, east London, on July 20 2025
+5
View gallery
Kaddour-Cherif;s accidental release was one of many such incidents last year which caused a crisis within the Labour government and led to calls for tougher security measures
Advertisement
Advertisement
Read More
Moment fugitive fraudster hands himself in three days after he was freed from HMP Wandsworth
It follows earlier official data showing there were a record 262 releases in error in 2024-25, of which 87 were violent offenders and three had convictions for sexual offences.
Mark Drury, a member of the Prison Governors’ Association, warned at the time there had been a ‘sudden’ rise in absconders from open prisons in recent years, adding that there is an ‘increased risk to the public’.
He explained that, due to attempts to tackle prison overcrowding, ‘there are a large number of prisoners in open prisons now that we would not have considered suitable two or three years ago’.
We are your go-to destination for breaking UK news, real-life stories from communities across the country, striking images, and must-see video from the heart of the action.
Follow us on Facebook at for the latest updates and developing stories, and stay connected on X (Twitter) the for live coverage as news breaks across the UK.
