Polish murder suspect freed in error to appear in court

A Polish man wanted on suspicion of murder in his homeland will finally appear in court after an administrative error meant a judge ordered him to be freed from prison and he had to be rearrested.

Piotr Kupiec, 28, was the subject of an international manhunt and was wanted by Polish authorities over the death of a man following a football match in 2007.

He was arrested in Wiltshire in January at a Subway restaurant where he worked - just 500 yards from a police station - and was due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Wednesday for an extradition hearing.

But the European arrest warrant under which he was detained was withdrawn on Tuesday because police investigating the case arrested another man with the same name, making it invalid.

A new warrant was due to be issued at the London court and Kupiec rearrested, but an administrative error meant he was not brought there on Wednesday from Wandsworth Prison.

District Judge Quentin Purdy said there no lawful reason for him to be held and ordered him to be freed.

Kupiec was formally released from prison but detained under a fresh European arrest warrant moments later.

Scotland Yard said he was taken into custody at a London police station and would appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Thursday.

It was unclear where the blame lay for him not being produced from prison on Wednesday but had been living in the UK under a different name, Lucasz Gluch, and it was thought he may have been listed under that name.

Kupiec is wanted by Polish authorities over the death of a man following a football match nine years ago.

He was named as a suspect on Interpol's wanted list and a warrant issued for him on charges of allegedly causing death by manslaughter or murder, assault or maltreatment, and theft.