Wandsworth fugitive jailed for vicious police attack

A convicted sex offender who sparked a national manhunt after being mistakenly freed from HMP Wandsworth has been jailed for a "prolonged and nasty" assault on two police officers.

Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, a 24-year-old Algerian asylum seeker, was sentenced to 26 weeks' imprisonment at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court after pleading guilty to two counts of assaulting an emergency worker.

The court heard the violent struggle erupted at Blackhorse Road Tube station on July 20 when an off-duty officer intervened to prevent a mobile phone theft.

PC Bradley Glynn spotted the defendant snatching a handset from a sleeping passenger and successfully recovered the device before ordering the thief to exit the train.

Prosecution evidence detailed how Kaddour-Cherif lurked on the platform to re-board the carriage, prompting the officer to shout "thief" to alert other commuters.

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The defendant responded by launching a closed-fist punch to the side of the officer’s head, sparking a physical altercation that spilled across the station platform.

On-duty officer PC Jason Norton joined the struggle to restrain the defendant, who subsequently slammed the officer against a wall and bit him.

The court was shown graphic images of bite marks sustained by the officers, while PC Norton provided testimony regarding his ongoing fear of contracting blood-borne illnesses from the injury.

Magistrate Elizabeth Robb condemned the "nasty" nature of the attack and ordered Kaddour-Cherif to pay £154 in compensation to the victims.

Read more: Tube Predator Jailed After Stalking and Sexual Assault Spree

Kaddour-Cherif made national headlines in November 2025 when he was erroneously released from custody despite a judicial order stating he should be held on remand.