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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Murder suspect mistakenly freed | Murder suspect mistakenly freed |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| A man from Essex charged with murder who was freed from prison by mistake has given himself up. | |
| Jason Bethell, 31, of Broadway, Jaywick, is accused of murdering John Smith, 58, also of Jaywick, who was stabbed in July. He died in September. | Jason Bethell, 31, of Broadway, Jaywick, is accused of murdering John Smith, 58, also of Jaywick, who was stabbed in July. He died in September. |
| On 9 November Mr Bethell was remanded in custody, but seven days later he was released from Chelmsford Prison. | |
| On Tuesday evening he handed himself in at Clacton police station and will be returned to prison to await trial. | On Tuesday evening he handed himself in at Clacton police station and will be returned to prison to await trial. |
| A Prison Service spokesperson said: "An internal investigation into this release is under way. | A Prison Service spokesperson said: "An internal investigation into this release is under way. |
| "The police were informed as soon as we became aware of the error and we are working with them to return this individual to custody as quickly as possible. | "The police were informed as soon as we became aware of the error and we are working with them to return this individual to custody as quickly as possible. |
| "Ministers and the Prison Service take this sort of incident very seriously." | "Ministers and the Prison Service take this sort of incident very seriously." |
| The spokesman did not say how the incident occurred, but claimed: "The Prison Service has developed robust procedures to deal with such situations." | The spokesman did not say how the incident occurred, but claimed: "The Prison Service has developed robust procedures to deal with such situations." |
| Mr Smith received stab wounds in Jaywick on 11 July. He died in hospital on 18 September. | Mr Smith received stab wounds in Jaywick on 11 July. He died in hospital on 18 September. |