Registered sex offender reoffends within a day of early release in London, police say

Mixed · 2A registered sex offender released early from HMP Wandsworth on Thursday 1 October, the first day of the government's early release scheme, was filmed on CCTV stealing from two supermarkets in north-west London within 24 hours, according to Metropolitan Police accounts. 1 2 Mixed · 2The Daily Express names him as Michael Bogle, 38, and says, citing the Telegraph, that he stole £43.50 of laundry detergent from a Tesco in Wembley on the evening of his release and a further £98.85 over the next three days. The Evening Standard does not name him. 2 1 Mixed · 2He had been serving a sentence for shoplifting and breaching a criminal behaviour order. The Express says he was freed after 78 days for breaching a 32-week suspended sentence. The Probation Service had assessed him as high risk, and he had 16 previous convictions linked to more than 100 investigations, including theft, criminal damage and indecent exposure. 1 2

Mixed · 2Police arrested him on Monday 5 October. The Standard says he was charged with four counts of shoplifting, commercial burglary and breaching court orders, pleaded guilty and was recalled to prison by the Probation Service. The Express says he pleaded guilty on Tuesday and was sentenced to eight months. 1 2 Mixed · 2A Met statement quoted in both reports called the speed of reoffending and its impact on frontline policing "astonishing". The Standard attributes this to Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams, borough commander for Barnet, Brent and Harrow, in a letter to local MPs and councillors. The Express attributes the same words to Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist. 1 2 Centre · 1Williams said the case took 27 officer hours, costing £1,887, warned of similar cases across London, and said he feared it would get worse as more people are released. 1

Right · 1Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley told LBC on 8 October that officers were arresting two or three early-released offenders a week. 2 Mixed · 2The scheme aims to ease prison overcrowding. The Express says the Sentencing Act 2026 allows eligible prisoners to be released on licence after one third of their sentence, and that jails are at about 98% capacity. The Standard says the expected number of releases was cut from about 6,000 after Prime Minister Andy Burnham reviewed the terms, and that manslaughter and grooming offences were removed from eligibility. 2 1 Centre · 1London's Victims Commissioner Andrea Simon said the exemptions had not covered some offenders whose release is a "genuinely terrifying prospect" for their victims. Treasury minister James Murray said there was no good solution and the government had inherited a prison system "on the brink". 1

Mixed · 2Shadow home secretary Chris Philp called the scheme "reckless and botched", said not all offenders were tagged on release as promised, and pointed to the Conservative plan for 50,000 more prison places. The Ministry of Justice had been contacted for comment by the Standard. 2 1