Offender freed early from prison charged with sexual assault in Sittingbourne

• ITV News' Vincent McAviney reports as a man freed from prison early is charged with sexual assault.

A man freed from prison under the Government’s early release scheme has been charged with sexual assault, after a woman was allegedly assaulted in Kent.

British Transport Police officers were called to Sittingbourne railway station on Tuesday, September 10, to reports of an incident.

Officers then arrested a man, named by police as Amari Lindon Ward, aged 31, in the Croydon area on Wednesday 11 September in connection with the assault.

It is understood he was released as part of the Government's policy, which aims to ease prison overcrowding, on its first day on Tuesday, according to court documents seen by the PA news agency.

Ward appeared at a magistrate’s court on Thursday charged with sexual assault, and is due to appear at Maidstone crown court next month. He has also been recalled to prison.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “The Government inherited prisons in crisis and on the brink of collapse. Had that happened, the courts would have been unable to hold trials and the police to make arrests.

“We had no choice but to introduce emergency measures, releasing some prisoners a few weeks or months early, while excluding a number of offences and imposing strict licence conditions.

“While we cannot comment on the details of any single case, those who break their licence conditions or commit further crimes will be punished.”

The policy sees the proportion of sentences which some inmates must serve behind bars temporarily cut from 50% to 40% amid Government warnings jails were being pushed to the “point of collapse”.

Around 1,750 prisoners were freed early on Tuesday from jails across England and Wales.

Pictures emerged of an inmate being sprayed with bubbly by friends at the prison gates as they were released while ministers faced accusations that serious career criminals were among those walking free when the policy was launched.

Criminals serving prison sentences of less than four years for violent offences, including manslaughter, are among those eligible to be freed under the scheme.

Despite Government efforts to prevent domestic abusers from leaving prison early, the restrictions will not apply to all criminals with a history of such violence as the policy only excludes particular offences such as stalking.

Attackers convicted of other crimes such as threats to kill or actual bodily harm could still qualify for early release.

Rioters involved in this summer’s unrest are also not specifically excluded from early release. They will only stay behind bars for longer if they are serving more than four years for a violent offence.

Terrorists and sex offenders are excluded and will not be freed early.

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