A fugitive, identified as William “Billy” Smith, was mistakenly set free from prison due to a clerical error that mixed up his sentence with another individual sharing the same surname. Smith had been handed a 45-month prison term for committing various fraud crimes at Croydon Crown Court. However, he was erroneously released when an incorrect sentence was inputted into the system under his name. Authorities are now actively seeking to apprehend him and return him to custody.
During the sentencing, Smith was accompanied by a co-defendant, Joseph Smith, as indicated in the court schedule. While Joseph Smith, who was out on bail and physically attended court proceedings, received a suspended sentence, allowing him to go free, Billy Smith, who was in custody at HMP Wandsworth, appeared via video link and was given a custodial sentence.
The error occurred when the sentences were mistakenly interchanged in the digital system, resulting in Billy being incorrectly granted a suspended sentence. Subsequently, this mistake initiated the release process for Billy. Officials attempted to rectify the error earlier on the same day, but a further blunder led to the incorrect individual being informed of the mistake. Consequently, Billy was released in error before the situation could be rectified.
Surrey Police have issued an appeal to locate Billy Smith, aged 35, who was wrongfully released. Smith was last spotted wearing a navy long-sleeve jumper with a white Nike logo on the front, navy blue tracksuit bottoms with a white Nike logo on the left pocket, and black trainers. Although he is connected to Woking, he could be anywhere in Surrey, according to the police.
This incident follows the recent mistaken release of Algerian national Brahim Kaddour Cherif from HMP Wandsworth, prompting authorities to urgently search for him. Stay informed about UK politics with our daily email briefing delivered directly to your inbox.