Seven men face trial accused of violent disorder outside asylum seeker hotel

Seven men accused of violent disorder following demonstrations outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Essex are facing trial next year.

Multiple protests have been held outside The Bell Hotel in Epping since July 13, after asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu was charged with the sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl.

The Ethiopian national, who arrived in the UK on a small boat days before the incidents, was later found guilty of five offences – including sexual assault – at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court.

Kebatu, who gave his age as 38, is due to be sentenced at the same court on Tuesday.

On Monday, seven men accused of violent disorder appeared before Chelmsford Crown Court.

The judge, Jamie Sawyer, split the seven into smaller groups for case management hearings, with three defendants in the dock for a first hearing, then four for a second hearing.

He set two separate dates for trials next year, due to the number of defendants, for the cases to be heard in two groups.

Phillip Curson, 52, Shaun Thompson, 37, and 43-year-old Lee Gower were the first group in the dock on Monday.

Prosecutor Sam Willis said they had all pleaded not guilty to the indictment and asked the judge to join their cases together for trial.

The judge set a trial date of March 23, 2026, bailing Curson and Thompson until then, and remanding Gower in custody.

Curson, of Upminster in east London, pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing to one count of violent disorder on July 17.

Thompson, of Epping, who is alleged to have punched a police car, pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing to violent disorder on July 17.

Gower, of Epping, pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing to violent disorder and he also denied assaulting a police officer on July 17.

The second group in the dock on Monday were Keith Silk, 33, Charlie Land, 23, Jonathan Glover, 47, and 28-year-old Aaron Elles, and the judge set their trial date as June 1, 2026.

Silk, Land and Glover were bailed until then, while Elles was remanded in custody.

Silk, of Loughton, pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing to violent disorder on July 17 and also denied criminal damage, having been accused of damaging a sign belonging to the Bell Hotel.

Land, of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing to violent disorder and criminal damage, with an allegation that he damaged a police carrier belonging to the Metropolitan Police.

Glover, of Waltham Abbey, entered a plea of not guilty at Monday’s hearing to a charge of violent disorder said to have happened on July 17.

The judge scheduled a hearing for an application for Elles, of Harlow, to vacate his earlier plea, with the date set as October 16.

Elles had entered a guilty plea to a charge of violent disorder at an earlier magistrates’ court hearing.

An eighth defendant, 21-year-old Luke Fleming, appeared separately before the court on Monday.

Fleming, of Buckhurst Hill, was not asked to enter a plea to a charge of violent disorder and was bailed until a hearing on October 6.