A prolific sex offender and thief was sent back to prison after reoffending within 24 hours of being released under the government's early release scheme. The man, assessed as high risk by the Probation Service, was caught on CCTV stealing from two supermarkets in North-West London just one day after his release from HMP Wandsworth on Thursday, September 30.
Offender's criminal history and immediate reoffending
The individual had 16 convictions and was linked to over 100 investigations, including multiple thefts, criminal damage, and an incident of indecent exposure. When officers visited the stores after the initial CCTV sighting, they discovered he had continued stealing throughout the weekend.
Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams, Borough Commander for Harrow and Brent, criticised the government's early release scheme after his staff had to dedicate 27 officer hours to catching the man, who also breached his criminal behaviour order. The cost of these hours amounted to £1,887.
Police and political reaction to the early release scheme
DCS Williams said: "The concerning nature of the Early Release Scheme in this case was a known prolific offender being put back into the community, only to immediately re-offend. Not only does this place communities at risk, but it also puts demand straight back into policing, who must arrest, investigate and put the individual into custody."
He added: "In this case, 27 officer hours were needed, leading to a cost of £1,887. Putting aside the additional cost to policing, it is fair to ask what else those officers could have been doing. They could have been out in the community, progressing other investigations or targeting high-harm offenders."
The Detective Chief Superintendent reiterated that the scheme would strain police time and expressed concern that communities were being put at risk by the early release of thousands of criminals.
Government defends the scheme amid criticism
The Brent Liberal Democrats Opposition Group criticised Labour for "ignoring victims and putting the public at risk." The group's leader, Cllr Anton Georgiou, described the scheme as "ill thought out."
Cllr Georgiou said: "The pressure on the criminal justice system has been growing over many years due to the failures of both Labour and the Tories. This individual is guilty of a sexual offence, which will have caused untold trauma to the victim. What does it say to them when the government allows an individual guilty of such a disgusting crime to freely roam the streets again?"
Earlier this month, the Labour Government introduced changes to the prison release system through the Sentencing Act 2026, aiming to improve prison capacity and promising "tough supervision" for those released.
A Government spokesperson said: "We inherited a prison system on the brink of collapse. If we had failed to act, the police would have been forced to halt arrests, putting communities at untold risk. We will never jeopardise public safety. That is why we are putting thousands more Neighbourhood Police officers onto our streets, upping police funding to £18.5 billion and taking investment in the probation service to record levels. To manage offenders out on licence, we are rolling out the toughest-ever controls, including world-first restriction zones, the largest expansion of electronic tagging, and giving victims a say in licence conditions."
