Asylum seeker hotel resident jailed for 12 months for sexual assault of girl, 14

An asylum seeker hotel resident who sparked nationwide protests after sexually assaulting a woman and a 14-year-old girl faces deportation after being jailed for 12 months.

Ethiopian national Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, who arrived in the UK on a small boat days before the incidents, was found guilty of five offences following a three-day trial at Chelmsford and Colchester magistrates’ courts.

On Tuesday, a judge told the 38-year-old his behaviour “really highlights the poor regard you must have for women”, adding Kebatu was “feeling sorry for yourself, knowing you were well and truly caught”.

The sentencing hearing at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court was told Kebatu wants to be deported after serving his time in prison, with his defence lawyer Molly Dyas adding it is a view he held “before the trial”.

The court heard that the defendant also told a probation officer that the “United Kingdom was too strict” after being convicted of sexual assault.

Under the UK Borders Act 2007, a deportation order must be made where a foreign national has been convicted of an offence and received a custodial sentence of at least 12 months.

As well as receiving a 12-month sentence, Kebatu was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years, and was made the subject of a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Kebatu, 38, 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 girl’s thighs and stroking her hair during incidents in Epping, Essex, his trial was told.

The defendant, who was a “teacher of sports” in his home country, 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.

The Bell Hotel resident’s behaviour in July led to protesters and counter-protesters taking to the streets in Epping and eventually outside hotels housing asylum seekers across the country.

District Judge Christopher Williams previously found Kebatu 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.

Speaking about the defendant’s decision to inappropriately approach the schoolgirl on two consecutive days, Judge Williams said: “It must have been abundantly clear to you that your behaviour was unwanted the previous day, but that did not stop you seeking out and approaching the children again.

“No doubt you were emboldened by the fact that there had been no consequence of your previous behaviour.”

The judge said Kebatu “couldn’t have anticipated” his offending “would cause such a response from the public”.

He told the defendant: “I’ve no doubt the author of the report is correct and you couldn’t have anticipated that your offending behaviour as an asylum seeker housed at the Bell Hotel would cause such a response from the public.

“Particularly in Epping, but also across the UK, resulting in mass demonstrations and fear that children in the UK are not safe.”

He said: “It’s evident to me that your shame and remorse isn’t because of the offences you’ve committed, but because of the impact they’ve had.”

Addressing the sexual assault on the adult member of the public, the judge said: “It isn’t that you misread the situation, you simply acted ignorantly and repulsively.

“The fact that you tried to suggest that she was the one who was acting inappropriately towards you is just as appalling and really highlights the poor regard you must have for women.”

The judge said Kebatu told a probation officer he was “aware of the unrest that (the) offending had caused” and he knew “other law-abiding asylum seekers were impacted by the offending”.

Judge Williams told Kebatu he agreed with the author of a pre-sentence report that he was “manipulative” when interviewed by a probation officer.

He told the defendant: “That report indicates you were very reluctant to speak about the offending.

“It suggests you raised a lack of English and mental health difficulties as reasons why you either can’t remember what happened or cannot talk about the offending.

“The probation officer didn’t consider this was accurate and considered you were being manipulative. I agree with that assessment.”

Before Kebatu was jailed, prosecutor Stuart Cowen said the defendant had told the author of a pre-sentence report that “because of the situation, Epping is in chaos and he had got a lot of migrants in trouble”.

Statements from both victims were read to the court by Mr Cowen, and the 14-year-old girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she is now “checking over my shoulder” when she is out with friends.

The girl added: “Seeing the bench (where the sexual assault took place) reminds me of everything that happened.”

In her statement, the adult member of the public who was sexually assaulted by Kebatu, and who also cannot be named for legal reasons, said the defendant “did not even appear to know that what he’s done was wrong”, adding that the incident has made her feel “angered and frustrated”.