A prolific offender released early from HMP Wandsworth has been sent back to prison after committing a string of offences within days of regaining his freedom.
Michael Bogle, 38, was among around 700 prisoners released on October 1 under the government’s early release scheme, introduced to ease pressure on overcrowded prisons in England and Wales.
Within five days, Bogle had committed 11 offences involving shoplifting and breaches of court orders, according to reports. He has now been sentenced to eight months in prison.
Shoplifting began shortly after release
Bogle, from Brent in north-west London, had told reporters outside HMP Wandsworth that he supported the early release scheme and hoped not to return to shoplifting.
But within hours he was stealing again.
He took £43.50 of laundry detergent from a Tesco in Wembley on the evening of his release and went on to steal a further £98.85 of detergent over the following days. He was also seen repeatedly entering a Sainsbury’s store despite being barred from the premises by a court order.
Police later spent an entire day locating and arresting him.
More than 100 previous offences
Bogle has a lengthy criminal history, with 16 convictions linked to more than 100 offences including theft, criminal damage and indecent exposure.
Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said:
“While it is not surprising that someone with this history went on to reoffend, the speed with which he did so, and the impact on frontline policing, is astonishing.”
He added that Bogle had been captured on CCTV stealing from two supermarkets in north-west London just a day after being released.
Early release scheme under scrutiny
Around 5,000 prisoners are expected to be released in stages over the coming year under the scheme, which ministers say is necessary to prevent the prison system running out of capacity.
Certain offenders, including those convicted of rape, manslaughter and the most serious child sexual offences, are excluded.
The government says released prisoners will be subject to tougher licence conditions and increased electronic monitoring, while critics have raised concerns about supervision and the risk of reoffending.
