Evening Standard
· collected 2026-10-09 · by Nicholas Cecil and Matt Watts
Michael Bogle, 38, a high-risk shoplifter from Brent with 16 previous convictions and over 100 linked investigations, was released early last Thursday from HMP Wandsworth after serving 78 days for breaching a suspended sentence. Within 24 hours of his release, he stole laundry detergent worth £142.35 from two supermarkets in north-west London. The incident prompted concerns from DCS Williams at the Met Police about the risks early release poses to communities and policing costs.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-09,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Michael Bogle, 38, from Brent, who was assessed as a “high risk offender”, was captured on CCTV stealing from two supermarkets in north west London within 24 hours of being freed last Thursday from HMP Wandsworth.
asserted
who → assess → Wandsworth
The former bus driver allegedly entered a Sainsburys Local in Willesden three times between 6pm and 8.45pm from which he is barred under a criminal behaviour order ban.
uncertain
he → enter → ban
After being arrested, he was later said to have pleaded guilty to four shoplifting offences of stealing laundry detergent worth a total of £142.35 between Thursday October 1st and Monday the 5th from Tesco in Wembley.
asserted
he → arrest → Wembley
He was also believed to have been charged with a commercial burglary and breaching court orders before being returned to prison.
asserted
He → believe → prison
He reportedly had 16 previous convictions and to have been linked to more than 100 investigations.
uncertain
He → have → investigations
Bogle was released from the south west London prison last Thursday where he had served 78 days in prison after breaching a 32-week suspended sentence for shoplifting.
asserted
he → release → shoplifting
Asked at the time for his message to Andy Burnham, Bogle said: “Keep the early release going.
asserted
release → ask → Burnham
It’s good.”
asserted
It → ’ → ?
He added that conditions inside the prison are “awful”, with inmates locked up for around 23 hours a day.
asserted
inmates → add → hours
Read More
DCS Williams warned of other similar cases in the capital.
asserted
Williams → read → capital
He stressed that communities were being put at risk by the early release of inmates.
asserted
communities → stress → inmates
In his letter, DCS Williams said: “The Met has repeatedly raised concerns that placing more criminals within the community comes with significant risks to victims and places more costs onto policing.
“
asserted
placing → say → policing
In this latest example, last Thursday, a prolific shoplifter and registered sex offender was released as part of this scheme from HMP Wandsworth.
asserted
shoplifter → register → Wandsworth
The senior Scotland Yard officer added: “This individual had been assessed as a high-risk offender by the Probation Service and had 16 previous convictions linked to more than 100 investigations, including multiple thefts, criminal damage and an incident of indecent exposure.
asserted
individual → add → exposure
“While I am sure it is not surprising that someone with this history went on to reoffend, the speed with which he did so, and the impact on frontline policing, is astonishing.
asserted
he → go → policing
“Just one day after his release, he was captured on CCTV stealing from two supermarkets in north-west London.
asserted
he → capture → London
“When local neighbourhood officers visited the stores, staff reported that he had continued shoplifting throughout the weekend.”
asserted
he → visit → weekend
A team of officers spent an entire day locating the man and bringing him back into custody, where he was charged with four counts of shoplifting, breaching court orders and commercial burglary.
asserted
he → spend → orders
He required constant observation while in custody.
asserted
He → require → custody
Local police officers gathered CCTV evidence and witness statements to build a case against him.
asserted
officers → gather → him
The man subsequently pleaded guilty and is now back in jail.
asserted
man → plead → jail
He was also recalled to prison by the Probation Service.
asserted
He → recall → Service
DCS Williams added: “The concerning nature of the Early Release Scheme in this case was a known prolific offender being put back into the community, only to immediately re-offend.
“
asserted
offender → add → community
Not only does this place communities at risk but puts demand straight back into policing who must arrest, investigate and put the individual into custody.
asserted
who → place → custody
“In this case, 27 officer hours were needed, leading to a cost of £1,887.”
asserted
hours → need → 1,887
He added “Furthermore, this is not just a localised issue with similar cases occurring across London, where people are released, only for their cycle of offending to immediately start again.
asserted
cycle → add → offending
“I, along with other officers from across the Met are concerned this will only get worse as more people are released early.
asserted
people → concern → Met
The Government has faced criticism over the early release scheme, with critics saying it was inevitable some criminals would reoffend.
asserted
criminals → face → scheme
“There seems to be a grim inevitability about prolific offenders let out early going on to start up their criminal activities once again.
asserted
offenders → seem → activities
“The speed with which this occurred in this instance is truly shocking.”
asserted
this → occur → instance
The number of people expected to be released under this scheme was cut from around 6,000 after Prime Minister Andy Burnham intervened to review its terms, removing eligibility for crimes including all forms of manslaughter, grooming offences and causing or allowing the death of a child.
asserted
Burnham → expect → child
On the morning of its launch last Thursday, Treasury minister James Murray, MP for Ealing North, said: "I know the level of concern and maybe anger will be intense, and it's worth me making clear that this is not a situation where there is any good solution - there's just a series of very difficult choices we've got to take."
asserted
we → say → choices
A Government spokesperson said:“ We inherited a prison system on the brink of collapse.
“If we had failed to act, the police would have been forced to halt arrests, putting communities at untold risk.“
asserted
police → say → risk
The Aporia
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