Prison absconder tracked down in Tunbridge Wells
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A man who absconded from an open prison has been tracked down and arrested by officers in Tunbridge Wells.
Brandon Smith had been in custody at HMP Standford Hill, where he was nearing the end of a custodial sentence for a serious assault carried out in the Sussex area.
On Saturday 10 June 2023, Smith was granted release on a temporary licence for the purposes of resettlement. This allowed him to be away from the prison between 9am and 7pm, however he failed to return later that evening.
On Tuesday 20 June, officers from the Tunbridge Wells Neighbourhood Task Force were carrying out patrols as part of the force’s Safer Summer initiative, which runs across Kent and includes a focus on violent crime and anti-social behaviour.
They spotted Smith in an area of Rusthall, and he was arrested after a short foot pursuit and taken into custody.
Charged and recalled to prison
The 22-year-old, formley of Peacehaven, East Sussex, was then charged with an offence of a temporarily released prisoner being unlawfully at large.
On Thursday 22 June, Smith pleaded guilty before Medway Magistrates’ Court. He was recalled to prison and received an additional 30-day sentence.