No, teenager who killed pensioner in Glasgow was not released early

What is the claim?

A screenshot of a GB News report is circulating on social media alongside the false claim that a teenager who was released from jail early under a newly introduced U.K. government policy killed a pensioner within less than an hour of his release. The early release policy is part of a U.K. government scheme aimed at freeing up prison capacity to deal with overcrowding.

One X (formerly Twitter) user shared the screenshot and wrote, "Early release is working out well." At the time of writing this story, the post had amassed over 25,000 views and more than 1000 likes. Archived versions of this and similar posts can be found here, here, here, here, and here.

Over 1,700 prisoners in England and Wales have been released early under a government initiative aimed at reducing overcrowding in prisons on September 10, 2024. The move has been criticized by many at a time when reports have emerged of one prisoner who was released early allegedly "assaulting a woman on the day he was freed from prison."

Screenshots of other viral social media posts. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, the perpetrator of the incident mentioned in the viral post was not released under the early release program.

What are the facts?

We found the original GB News report about a 15-year-old boy in Glasgow killing a pensioner shortly after being released by police.

According to a report by The Times published on September 10, 2024, a 15-year-old boy and a friend assaulted shopkeeper Nadeen Mohammed with a blade during an altercation in Govanhil, Scotland. The perpetrator was subsequently taken into police custody on the evening of April 12 and was released on the same day at 11:15 p.m. from police custody having given an undertaking, the report added.

Another report by the BBC stated that shortly after his release, the teenager punched a man identified as Patrick Colhoun in the Govanhill area of Glasgow on the same day, which later led to his death. The teenager later admitted to the culpable homicide of Colhoun. He also confessed to assaulting Mohammed, reports added. 

None of the reports suggest that the teenager was previously imprisoned and released under any early release program.

What did officials say?

A spokesperson for the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner, Scotland told Logically Facts, "We were instructed by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) to investigate the circumstances leading to the death of a 70-year-old man in Victoria Road, Glasgow in April 2024 and will submit our report to them in due course."

Andrew Coyle, a spokesperson of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Scotland further confirmed that the teenager was not released from prison or under any early release plan, "Reports relating to the accused being released from police custody are accurate. He was not released as part of any early release plan."

'Early Release' program came into effect much later in Scotland

The Scottish government announced a proposal for early release in May this year, with the first batch of prisoners released in June. According to the proposal, the release was scheduled in four phases, beginning on June 26, 2024, and ending on July 18, 2024. The latest release date under the regulations was set for July 25, 2024. A BBC report published on September 11, 2024, indicates that the Scottish prison population remains higher, despite the early release of hundreds of prisoners to ease overcrowding. 

Gareth Rose, a spokesperson of the Scottish Prison Service, confirmed to Logically Facts that the Emergency Early Release programme ran in four tranches in Scotland between June and July 2024 and was not running during April 2024, when the incident in question took place. 

The verdict

The claim stating that a teenager involved in the killing of a pensioner in Glasgow, Scotland had been released as part of an early release policy for prisoners is false. The teenager was released after preliminary questioning from police custody and was not released from prison or under any early release program. Also, the Scottish government had announced a proposal for early release in May this year, whereas the incident in question is from April 2024.