The armed son of gangster Mark Duggan and a building society cashier who stole from pensioners to fund lavish holidays have both been released early from prison in separate cases.
Drill rapper Kemani Duggan, 25, was spotted at a house music rave just over two years after receiving a five-year prison sentence for possessing a deadly Cold War-era pistol.
A recent video – posted on Reddit And TikTok but which has since been removed – showed the rapper enjoying a packed party surrounded by young women.
In another case, former Nationwide employee Kelly Kershaw, 54, who looted the accounts of pensioners and a man with learning disabilities, was released under a curfew after just a quarter of the 16-month term imposed in May.
Neither Duggan nor Kershaw’s release is linked to the highly controversial decision to release 5,000 prisoners to reduce prison overcrowding under Labour’s Sentencing Act.
But the decision to free them early has sparked a backlash.
A resident of Kershaw’s village in North Wales said this means there is ‘no deterrent’ for would-be criminals.
Kershaw earned £1,400 a month working as a cashier for the building society, but regularly boasted on Facebook about her luxury trips, including to Dubai, the Maldives and Indonesia.
The married mother of two posted photos of ski trips, safaris and romantic European getaways on social media, where she bragged that she was “living one adventure at a time and loving life.”
Kemani Duggan was seen in a recent video at a party after his release from prison
She targeted customers including a man with learning difficulties, whose signature she forged, and elderly customers of the Nationwide in Caernarfon, North Wales.
Kershaw, who is believed to have returned to her home in Nefyn, North Wales, since her release, stole at least £8,605 in 12 months and admitted five counts of fraud between December 2023 and October 2024.
An outraged local called her release a “terrible indictment of the system and not a deterrent.”
Duggan, known as Bandokay, was sentenced to five years in prison at the Old Bailey in July 2024 after admitting possessing a Cold War-era pistol and 22 rounds of ammunition.
But the 25-year-old, whose father was shot by armed police and sparked the 2011 London riots, is now back on the streets after being released from prison.
He was jailed for five years on July 5, 2024, but was eligible for release because he had already spent nearly six months in custody following his arrest at Gatwick Airport in January.
Duggan admitted possessing a Zastava M57 Tokarev-type semi-automatic pistol and 22 rounds of ammunition with intent to cause fear of violence.
The Cold War weapon, first manufactured in Soviet-era Yugoslavia, has a deadly history on British streets.
Kershaw, who indulged in luxury holidays, has been released after serving a quarter of her sentence
A gun of the same type was used in the murder of 22-year-old Sharmake Mohamud, who was shot eight times in a gangland attack in north London in September 2020.
It was also used in the infamous political murder of Palestinian cartoonist Naji al-Ali, who was shot in the face outside his newspaper’s offices in Knightsbridge in July 1987. He died of his injuries the following month.
Duggan initially faced the more serious charge of possessing the gun and ammunition with intent to endanger life, but admitted the lesser charges shortly before he was due to appear in court.
Prosecutors told the Old Bailey that Duggan was a well-known drill rapper and a member of the Original Farm Boys, which has its roots in Tottenham’s Broadwater Farm estate.
Duggan was sentenced to five years in prison for possession of a Cold War-era Yugoslavian pistol
Rural cashier Kelly Kershaw plundered the accounts of vulnerable customers
The court heard that his fame and associations had also made him a target for violence from others linked to street gangs.
At his sentencing, Duggan’s attorney spoke of wanting to step out of the shadow of his father’s death and become a “real father” to his own young son.
He was just 10 when his father Mark Duggan, 29, was shot dead in Tottenham on August 4, 2011, sparking riots in London and other English cities.
The disorder left five people dead and thousands of businesses attacked, causing damage and disruption costing hundreds of millions of pounds.
An inquest jury later concluded that Mark Duggan was lawfully killed after hearing evidence of his ties to gang violence, including 10 shootings and two murders.
His son went on to establish himself as one of the better known figures on the British drill scene, achieving success with songs like Ambush and the 2019 mixtape Frontstreet, which reached the UK album chart.
In an interview when he was 18, Duggan complained that police repeatedly stopped him because he was Mark Duggan’s son, but he described his budding music career as an opportunity to “do something positive.”
The Old Bailey heard Duggan claimed he was given the gun and ammunition for his own protection as his fame had made him a target.
Prosecutor Diana Wilson told the court Duggan was a well-known drill artist with links to OFB, which she described as a criminal gang.
She said: ‘As a result of his notoriety, he has become a target for violence from others linked to street gangs in the city.’
The court also heard Duggan was described as a ‘senior gang member’.
Judge Philip Katz KC accepted that Duggan had reason to fear he would be attacked, telling him: “It is accepted that there were reasons to fear that people would try to attack you.”
He said Duggan’s profile stemmed not only from his drilling career and gang associations, but also from his “unfortunate life history.”
The Tokarev and 22 rounds of ammunition were discovered by police in November 2023 in a JD sports bag in the underground parking garage of an apartment building, next to two-meter-long knives. Duggan’s DNA was found on the gun.
The Justice Department confirmed that Duggan had been released under normal release arrangements.
Kershaw, convicted by a judge at Caernarfon Crown Court, is said to have been released very early under a curfew.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said of Kershaw: ‘These were callous crimes and home detention violators are subject to strict conditions and must be tagged. If they break the rules, they will be sent back to prison.”
