'I'm going to go stealing again': Serial thief with 360 convictions is among first 700 freed early under Burnham's scheme

From the Newshound archive · first published 30 September 2026 · last updated 2 October 2026.

Serial thief David Elliott, who has 360 convictions and openly admits his addiction to stealing, declared outside HMP Brixton that he planned to reoffend immediately after being freed under Andy Burnham's early release scheme. Around 700 prisoners walked free across England and Wales on Thursday in the first wave of a programme expected to free up to 50,000 offenders a year, with many thanking the prime minister as they left. Domestic abuse victim Karen Haynes has fled Britain with her children in fear of her ex-husband, while Leah Morton's family called it 'disgusting' after her attacker was freed just five months into an 18-month sentence for strangling her while pregnant. Reform UK's Sarah Pochin branded the releases 'an absolute betrayal of British citizens' and demanded foreign national offenders be deported instead.

Joseph Hartley, jailed for strangling Leah Morton while she was pregnant, was freed after just five months of an 18-month sentence.

Reform's Sarah Pochin pledged that a Reform government would on day one deport all 10,700 foreign national offenders held in British prisons.

The scheme, when fully operational, will make up to 50,000 offenders a year eligible for early release, with violent criminals qualifying from December.