‘Calamity Lammy’ savaged over jail fiasco as second intercourse attacker by accident launched | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Labour was advised to get a grip of Britain’s jail fiasco after a second migrant intercourse predator was mistakenly launched onto the streets. A serious manhunt was beneath approach tonight after it emerged Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, a 24-year-old Algerian, was wrongly freed every week in the past.

The “shocking” blunder comes simply days after a intercourse assault asylum seeker went free and sparked warnings that the fugitive is a “danger to the public”. News emerged of the most recent shambles as David Lammy, the Deputy Prime Minister, refused to reply a number of questions within the House of Commons on whether or not another migrant had been mistakenly launched.

Kaddour-Cherif had been dwelling within the UK illegally after overstaying his customer visa, the Daily Express understands.

He was serving a sentence for trespass with intent to steal, however had beforehand been convicted for indecent publicity.

The Algerian was let loose from HMP Wandsworth in London on October 29, however the mistake was solely reported to the Metropolitan Police on Tuesday.

It comes after migrant Hadush Kebatu was wrongly launched from HMP Chelmsford on October 24.

Meanwhile, Surrey Police are looking one other inmate, Billy Smith, 35, who was additionally by accident launched from HMP Wandsworth on Monday.

He was sentenced to 45 months for a number of fraud offences on the day he was by accident freed.

A spokesperson for the Met mentioned: “Shortly after 1pm on Tuesday, November 4, the Met was informed by the Prison Service that a prisoner had been released in error from HMP Wandsworth on Wednesday, October 29.

“The prisoner is a 24-year-old Algerian man.

“Officers are carrying out urgent inquiries in an effort to locate him and return him to custody.”

It just isn’t clear why the jail service didn’t alert police for six days, nor why Mr Lammy, the Justice Secretary, refused to reply 5 occasions throughout Prime Minister’s Questions, the place he was standing in for Sir Keir Starmer – although he knew beforehand.

Nigel Farage advised the Express: “What a total farce this has become. Even more dangerous criminal is on the loose thanks to Labour. They are turning our country into a laughing stock.”

Robert Jenrick, the Shadow Justice Secretary, mentioned: “This is another shambles under Calamity Lammy’s watch.

“Accidental releases of prisoners have more than doubled under this Government, and David Lammy doesn’t have a clue what’s going on.

“The British people are being put in danger time and again due to the Government’s sheer incompetence.”

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp mentioned: “It is shocking that once again the Labour Government has mistakenly allowed a foreign criminal to be released from prison.

“The Algerian offender reportedly has previous sex attack convictions and is clearly a danger to the public.”

Kaddour-Cherif arrived within the UK on a customer’s visa in 2019 and is at present within the preliminary levels of deportation.

The blunder is the most recent controversy to hit HMP Wandsworth, the identical jail the place former soldier Daniel Khalife mounted his high-profile escape from and the place feminine jail officer Linda De Sousa Abreu was filmed having intercourse with an inmate.

It additionally marks one other humiliating blow to the Government who’re nonetheless scrambling to get well from the fallout of Kebatu being mistakenly free of jail.

The Ethiopian, who was convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old lady and a lady in Epping, Essex, was freed in error on October 24 earlier than he was arrested in Finsbury Park, north London, three days later.

Kebatu, whose offences sparked protests exterior the asylum seeker resort he was staying in and across the nation, was deported to his residence nation final Tuesday.

He was paid £500 in taxpayers’ cash to go away after threatening to disrupt his elimination.

Just two days earlier than the Algerian convict was launched, David Lammy, the Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, had vowed to extend checks on prisoners being launched following the nationwide manhunt for Kebatu.

It’s understood he knew concerning the second wrongly launched prisoner however refused to reply 5 occasions whether or not any extra asylum seekers had been mistakenly freed since Kebatu through the deputy Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.

Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge, who was standing in for Tory chief Kemi Badenoch within the Commons, repeatedly requested Mr Lammy about another asylum seeker prisoners being launched.

Mr Cartlidge then mentioned in some extent of order on the finish of the session, he was studying experiences that the Algerian inmate was on the run.

On social media afterwards, he requested one other query: “Now that we know the answer to my question… Can you tell me when you knew and when you were planning to tell the rest of us?”

It’s understood the Tories discovered concerning the blunder quarter-hour earlier than the beginning of deputy PMQs.

Downing Street mentioned it was first conscious of the blunder when it was introduced on the finish of PMQs.

Afterwards, Mr Lammy launched a press release saying he was “absolutely outraged and appalled” by the error, and blamed the Tories for the system Labour inherited.

Mr Lammy mentioned: “I am absolutely outraged and appalled by the mistaken release of a foreign criminal wanted by the police.

“The Metropolitan Police is leading an urgent manhunt, and my officials have been working through the night to take him back to prison.”

He added: “Victims deserve better and the public deserve answers.

“That is why I have already brought in the strongest checks ever to clamp down on such failures and ordered an independent investigation, led by Dame Lynne Owens to uncover what went wrong and address the rise in accidental releases which has persisted for too long.

“This latest incident exposes deeper flaws across the failing criminal justice system we inherited.

“Dame Lynne Owens’ investigation will leave no stone unturned to identify these issues, so we can fix them, improve safeguards and ensure the public is properly protected.”

On Monday final week – October 27 – within the wake of the Kebatu scandal, Mr Lammy advised MPs the Prison Service had “taken steps to make these processes more robust”.

Mr Lammy added: “These are the strongest release checks that have ever been in place. They will apply to every release from custody and are effective immediately.”

Kaddour-Cherif had been serving time for a break-in on the Royal Society of Literature in Somerset House on the Strand in September 2023.

He additionally had a earlier sexual offence conviction for exposing himself to a lady in March 2024 in Lloyd Park in Walthamstow, east London – not removed from his deal with in Tower Hamlets.

Kaddour-Cherif had beforehand been charged with a string of different alleged offences, together with possession of a knife, dealing with stolen items and one other rely of housebreaking.

According to Government figures printed in July, 262 prisoners had been launched in error within the 12 months to March 2025 – a 128% enhance on 115 within the earlier 12 months.