Mistakenly freed fraudster William Smith turns himself in at HMP Wandsworth as chaos deepens over second prisoner Brahim Kaddour-Cherif still missing across London

The chaos at one of Britain’s most troubled prisons has deepened after one of two inmates mistakenly released from HMP Wandsworth finally turned himself in.

The case has reignited national debate over security failures in the UK’s prison system — and raised fresh questions for the government about how such a serious mix-up could have happened again.

Fraudster Walks Free by Mistake, Then Hands Himself In

William “Billy” Smith, a 35-year-old fraudster, spent three unexpected days of freedom after being accidentally released from HMP Wandsworth.

The blunder occurred on Monday, just hours after he was sentenced to 45 months in prison for multiple fraud charges at Croydon Crown Court.

Instead of serving time, Smith walked out of the jail — all because of a paperwork mix-up involving another inmate with the same surname.

Authorities confirmed that Smith’s name was confused with that of his co-defendant, Joseph Smith, who had received a suspended sentence.

As a result, Billy Smith was released while Joseph — the one who was meant to be free — remained unaffected.

Following a three-day manhunt, William Smith handed himself in to prison officials.

Surrey Police later confirmed the news, officially calling off their public appeal.

Second Prisoner Still Missing After Release Error

While Smith has surrendered, the search continues for another inmate who was mistakenly freed from the same prison just days earlier.

Algerian national Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, 24, was released in error on October 29 and has remained at large ever since.

Kaddour-Cherif, a convicted sex offender, was serving time for breaking into the Royal Society of Literature at Somerset House in London.

He also had a disturbing criminal history that included indecent exposure, knife possession, and burglary.

Authorities have confirmed he is currently in the early stages of deportation proceedings, though it’s unclear when that process began.

Police Commander Paul Trevers said officers have launched a full-scale manhunt, urging the public to help track him down.

“He’s had a six-day head start,” Trevers noted, “but we are doing everything possible to locate him.”

Mounting Pressure on the Government

These two blunders have left the Ministry of Justice facing serious backlash.

Just days before the latest errors, Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy had promised tighter checks on prisoner releases following another embarrassing case involving Hadush Kebatu — a convicted sex attacker who was accidentally freed from HMP Chelmsford in late October.

Kebatu, who had assaulted a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Essex, was mistakenly released and later caught in Finsbury Park, North London.

After his arrest, he was deported to Ethiopia with £500 of taxpayer money — reportedly as part of his removal agreement.

Now, the government is scrambling to reassure the public that it still has control over the prison system.

Yet with Wandsworth’s name back in the headlines, confidence in prison management appears to be at an all-time low.

Labour MP Demands Answers Over “Shocking Failures”

Labour MP Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, who represents Tooting — the area where HMP Wandsworth is located — has written to both the Home Secretary and the Justice Secretary demanding a full investigation.

She expressed outrage over the release of Kaddour-Cherif, saying residents in her community were “deeply concerned” that a convicted sex offender had been allowed to walk free.

“This event raises serious questions about operational procedures and staffing levels,” she said, adding that she has been warning about problems at Wandsworth Prison for years.

In her letter, Dr Allin-Khan pressed officials to explain why it took days for police to be notified of the mistake and how long it took the Ministry of Justice to discover the error.

She emphasized that residents deserve reassurance that Wandsworth remains fit for purpose.

A Prison Already Mired in Scandal

This isn’t the first time HMP Wandsworth has made headlines for the wrong reasons.

The same institution was the site of Daniel Khalife’s daring escape in 2023, when the former soldier strapped himself to a food delivery truck and fled the premises.

He was recaptured three days later in West London.

Earlier this year, a prison officer named Linda De Sousa Abreu was sentenced to 15 months after she was filmed having sex with an inmate.

And a damning inspection last year exposed deep-rooted issues, including severe overcrowding, high levels of violence and drug use, poor leadership, and widespread self-harm among inmates.

For many, these latest blunders are further evidence that Wandsworth — one of the country’s largest and oldest prisons — is no longer functioning safely or efficiently.

Ongoing Search and Public Appeal

The Metropolitan Police continue to appeal for information about Kaddour-Cherif’s whereabouts.

Officers have released an image and body-worn camera footage from a previous arrest to help the public identify him.

“We’ve seen how crucial public vigilance can be in cases like this,” Commander Trevers said, referencing previous successful manhunts.

“We are urging anyone who sees Kaddour-Cherif or has information about him to contact police immediately.”

What Happens Next?

While William Smith is back in custody, the government still faces mounting scrutiny over the repeated release errors.

Questions are swirling about how such basic administrative mistakes can continue happening — and what this says about the state of Britain’s overstretched prison system.

For now, HMP Wandsworth remains under a harsh national spotlight, serving as a symbol of how fragile prison oversight has become.

And as police continue their search for Kaddour-Cherif, the public waits anxiously for reassurance that such alarming lapses won’t happen again.