Prisoner 'mistakenly' released before being sentenced for Leeds drug matters
A prisoner due to be sentenced for drugs matters failed to appear in court, after it was revealed he had been let out by mistake.
The Crown were left somewhat red-faced when the case of Nam Nguyen was called on at Leeds Crown Court on Friday, only to be told that he had mistakenly been released from remand and there was little knowledge of his current whereabouts.
The 25-year-old, of no fixed address, was charged with being concerned in the production of cannabis and driving without a licence. He was arrested in Leeds on February 26 last year and pleaded guilty on March 27. He was being held on remand.
The prosecutor told the court that he was later mistakenly released with “no further action” to be taken, and it was thought he may be living in the Reading area in Berkshire. The Vietnamese national is seeking asylum in the UK.
Judge Simon Batiste conceded Nguyen had either been released by mistake, deported or more unlikely, was somehow “still in the prison system”. He suggested another prisoner with the same surname may have been released mistakenly, given that the name is common in Vietnam.
He said: “I can’t understand how he has been released in the first place and that’s the worrying part. There was a crown court order to remand him into custody.”
Nguyen’s barrister Matthew Harding argued against issuing a warrant for his arrest because it was unlikely Nguyen knew about his sentencing hearing at Leeds Crown Court.
But Judge Batiste said there was no other effective way to ensure he was brought back to custody.
He issued the warrant and said: “If he is in Reading, efforts should be made to find him.”