Asylum seeker facing jail for sexual assaults that sparked Epping protests

An asylum seeker hotel resident is facing jail for sexual assaults on a woman and a 14-year-old girl that sparked nationwide protests.

Ethiopian national Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, who arrived in the UK on a small boat days before the incidents, was found guilty of five offences at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

His behaviour in July led to protesters and counter-protesters taking to the streets in Epping, Essex, and eventually further demonstrations outside hotels housing asylum seekers across the country.

The 38-year-old’s three-day trial heard he had told two teenagers he wanted to “have a baby with each of them” and attempted to kiss them, before going on to put his hand on one of the girls’ thighs and stroke her hair.

The defendant was also found to have sexually assaulted a woman by trying to kiss her, putting his hand on her leg and telling her she was pretty.

District judge Christopher Williams took just 30 minutes to return his guilty verdicts and his reasoning.

Kebatu, who was a “teacher of sports” in his home country, denied all charges against him – telling the court he is “not a wild animal”.

The defendant gave no visible reaction as Mr Williams told him he was guilty of two counts of sexual assault, one count of attempted sexual assault, one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, and one count of harassment without violence.

Kebatu, who followed his trial through a Tigrinya interpreter, is due to be sentenced at the same court on September 23.

Telling the defendant he should expect a prison term, the judge said: “You can expect an immediate custodial sentence to be imposed on September 23, it’s just a question of how long any sentence is going to be.”

Mr Williams asked that a report be prepared about him before sentencing, noting there was “so little known” about him.

The judge took around an hour to explain to the defendant the reasons for his guilty verdicts – telling him: “I’m not persuaded that there is any evidence to suggest the children fabricated any of the evidence they gave.”

Essex Police are still investigating incidents of disorder after a number of protesters took to the streets following Kebatu’s sexual assaults.

Multiple demonstrations have been held outside the Bell Hotel since July 13 – with the force making 32 arrests and charging 21 people in connection with incidents of disorder.

Epping Forest District Council is taking legal action against Somani Hotels over the use of the Bell Hotel as accommodation for asylum seekers, and could still be granted an injunction when a full hearing takes place on October 13.

Kebatu’s trial was told he was offered pizza by the 14-year-old victim shortly before he tried to kiss her on July 7.

The court heard Kebatu had made inappropriate comments to the girl, such as “come back to Africa, you would be a good wife”, and “do you want to come to the Bell Hotel to have babies then we could go to Kenya with each other”.

The girl told police she “froze” as the defendant sexually assaulted her and had told Kebatu “no, I’m 14” when he spotted her again in Epping the following day.

The court heard his response to the teenager was: “No, no, it doesn’t matter, you could come back to the Bell Hotel with me.”

An adult member of the public was also sexually assaulted by Kebatu on July 8 during an incident in which he touched her leg and tried to kiss her when she offered to help him with his CV.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she felt “shocked” and “uncomfortable” at his behaviour.

The adult victim told the court she confronted Kebatu when she saw him speaking to a “young schoolgirl”.

She said the defendant ran away from the initial confrontation, but she caught up with him near the Bell Hotel while on a 999 call with police.

The woman told the trial: “It was a lot of begging, pleading and apologising, and a lot of ‘I’m sorry, I’m going to go, it was a mistake’ – along those lines.”

Footage of Kebatu’s arrest showed him appear to become tearful after he was handcuffed by an officer, with the defendant eventually getting on his knees on the pavement next to a police car.

Reacting to the guilty verdicts, Essex Police Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hooper said: “We’re acutely aware that this incident has attracted widespread public interest.

“We have always said that we treat and investigate every report made to us without fear or favour.”

Mr Hooper added: “We understand the strength of feeling in our community, but no crime should become an excuse for the disorder we have seen at times in Epping.”

The Home Office said it would not be drawn into commenting on the case.