NT Police “mistakenly” released a 38-year-old man who was sentenced to six months for aggravated assault and breaching domestic violence orders at the Katherine court house Monday afternoon, later tracking him down through CCTV footage and arresting him Tuesday morning.

NT Police said in a statement on Tuesday that the man, who was not named, was sentenced to six months prison but suspended with one month to serve around 4:30pm Monday afternoon at Katherine Local Court.

He was then “mistakenly released from police custody at the court”, Acting Superintendent Warren Scott said, without explaining how the bungle occurred.

Act Supt Scott said the error was “identified shortly afterwards” with police enacting an “immediate” response involving Strike Force Cerberus and general duties members to track the man down.

The time period between his release and the police discovering the error was not provided.

“Police reviewed CCTV and conducted enquiries into the man’s movements throughout the evening, before he was located and arrested in Katherine this morning,” Act Supt Scott said.

It was unclear where and when the man was re-arrested and where he spent the night.

“The circumstances surrounding his incorrect release will be reviewed to understand how it occurred and ensure appropriate measures are taken,” Act Supt Scott said.

“I want to acknowledge the work of Strike Force Cerberus and General Duties, who worked quickly to locate the man and ensure he was safely returned to custody.”

The embarrassing mistake comes amid reports of chaos and overcrowding in the Territory’s courts, where lawyers have said police and corrections are unsure where people are at times. Others have reportedly been mistakenly kept in jail after being formally released by the courts.