Former senior police chiefs warn Britain faces new crime wave as thousands of prisoners go free in Keir Starmer’s early release scheme – as one inmate is re-arrested within SECONDS of getting out _ Hieuuk
Former senior police chiefs have warned there will be an increase in crime across Britain after thousands of criminals were set free in Keir Starmer‘s early release scheme.
Scenes of jubilation were seen outside many British prisons yesterday, as freed inmates punched the air and soaked themselves in champagne as they were freed into public life.
About 1,700 inmates were let out during the mass freeing which began on Tuesday – including one Wandsworth Prison inmate who was re-arrested within seconds of getting out.
The releases are part of the Government’s controversial bid to ease overcrowding in prisons, with some offenders having served just 40 per cent of their custodial term.
Former Scotland Yard Superintendent Nusrit Mehtab now fears a new crime wave will hit the country, claiming that the statistics already showed there was going to be a high reoffending rate.
Scenes of jubilation were seen outside many British prisons yesterday, as freed inmates punched the air and soaked themselves in champagne as they were released into public life
One Wandsworth Prison inmate who was re-arrested within seconds of being set free under Sir Keir Starmer ‘s early release scheme
Former Met police chiefs Nusrit Mehtab and Graham Wettone now fear a new crime wave will hit the country
She told The Sun: ‘People who have only done 40% of their sentence have been released – very happily, if you see some images.
‘For some – not all – they’ve got nowhere to live, money’s going to run out, so I think there will be a spike [in crime] because there’s no deterrent.
‘They’re thinking, ‘I’ve been released early – if I commit another crime, there won’t be any places [in prison]’.’
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Graham Wettone, another former Met officer, also told The Sun that he believed that crime would rise – but added that he was not sure there would be an increase in the ‘serious’ crimes of sexual offences and serious physical injuries.
He said: ‘I think it’s inevitable there’d be – and I really hope I’m wrong – but I think with the amount of people being released early, I think it’s inevitable.
‘We’ll see some form of increase, slight increase in some aspects of crime depending what the crime is.
‘I think your burglaries, your theft of, and theft from vehicles, the assaults… I think you will see an increase in some of those types of offences because of the number of individuals that have been released early.’
Lags were seen sauntering out of prisons across the country yesterday, with some being sprayed with bubbly by friends and embraced as the Government’s early release scheme kicked in.
One vowed to ‘get lit’ – intoxicated – to celebrate his unexpected freedom, while others said they were looking forward to tucking into fast food from McDonald’s.
Convicted drug dealer Djaber Benallaoua, 20, said the early release policy had made him a ‘lifelong Labour voter’.
Ben Savage, who was released from HMP Thameside yesterday, said he was delighted to be out early
Liam Fitzpatrick shouts and holds two bags in the air as he leaves Wandsworth Prison in London yesterday
A man and woman hug each other outside HMP Bristol as inmates are released from jail early
Stuart Bennett dances in the street outside HMP Leeds as he is released early yesterday
Former Hollywood actor Jason Hoganson puts his thumbs up after being released from HMP Durham where he was serving a sentence for attacking a woman in the street
Labour ministers have sought to counter public anger over the deeply controversial scheme by insisting that precautions are being taken to protect the public against the most violent offenders.
Last year 16 killers were jailed for less than four years for manslaughter, government figures show, meaning they will be eligible for discounted sentences. There were nine similar sentences handed out the previous year.
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One of the most serious offenders to be released early is Lawson Natty who supplied a machete used to kill 14-year-old Gordon Gault in Newcastle in November 2022.
The 18-year-old was convicted of manslaughter and jailed for two years and eight months in March but is now due to be released.
The victim’s mother Dionne Barrett said: ‘I feel totally sick to my stomach that he’s allowed out now after only serving months. It’s absolutely sickening.’
‘He’ll be getting out within the next couple of days. He will be going to an immigration processing centre to start with but then he could get bailed from there. He’s going to be back out on the streets.’
She also told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: ‘Fair enough, let petty criminals out – not somebody who’s killed a 14-year-old child; someone who purchases machetes. What if he does it again to somebody else?’
Amidst the joyous scenes at Wandsworth Prison on Tuesday, one prisoner was arrested on suspicion of rape moments after being set free under the scheme.
The man was seen walking out of the prison gates before turning his head from side to side in astonishment as he realised police were waiting for him.
He allowed himself to be cuffed and led away into a waiting van that took him to a nearby police station.
Amidst the joyous scenes at Wandsworth Prison on Tuesday, one prisoner was arrested on suspicion of rape moments after being set free under the scheme
The man was seen walking out of the prison gates before turning his head from side to side in astonishment as he realised police were waiting for him
Following an enquiry to the Met, it has emerged the man, 28, was arrested on suspicion of rape, sex assault and a racially aggravated public order offence – raising the question of why he was ever lined up for early release in the first place.
The Met told MailOnline: ‘A 28-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of rape, sexual assault and a racially/religiously aggravated public order offence.
‘He was taken to a south London police station before being bailed pending further enquiries in relation to the allegation of rape.
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‘No further action will be taken in connection with the other allegations.’
A further 4,000 inmates are set to be released the end of next month as part of a scheme drawn up by Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood.
Labour’s scheme allows offenders to be freed after serving 40 per cent of their sentence rather than the previous 50 per cent. But violent offenders handed sentences of less than four years are included in the scheme’s scope.
Among those eligible will be offenders jailed for child cruelty or neglect, which saw 143 people sentenced to less than four years in 2022 and 2023, as well as 2,200 robbers jailed in the same period.
In the Commons yesterday Lib Dem MP Lee Dillon asked the Justice Secretary to confirm that ‘no dangerous criminals would be released early’.
Ms Mahmood replied: ‘We have taken every measure available to exclude offences from this measure. That includes serious violence, sexual violence, offences connected to domestic abuse… as are terror offences.’
Challenged by Tory MP Neil O’Brien over the early release of those convicted of manslaughter Ms Mahmood added: ‘The offences and the sentences are both taken into account.’
Ms Mahmood also said some freed criminals could end up being housed in hotels at the taxpayers’ expense, to avoid them being homeless.
Asked by shadow justice secretary Edward Argar if hotels will be used, she told MPs she had authorised probation chiefs to ‘make appropriate provision’.
