Asylum seeker released in error seen in London area, police say

An asylum seeker accidentally released from prison was last seen in the London area, police said, as officers urged anyone who spots him to call 999 immediately.

Ethiopian national Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, who had been living at the Bell Hotel in Epping, was jailed for 12 months in September for the sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl.

Kebatu was freed by mistake at HMP Chelmsford on Friday morning instead of being sent to an immigration detention centre.

He was wrongly categorised as a prisoner due to be released on licence and handed a £76 discharge grant, the Telegraph reported.

Responsibility for the manhunt has been handed over to the Metropolitan Police after it was confirmed that Kebatu was last seen getting off a train at Stratford in east London at around 13:10pm on Friday.

Following his release, a delivery driver described seeing Kebatu return to HMP Chelmsford in a “very confused” state “four or five times”, only to be turned away by prison staff and directed to the railway station.

The driver, named only as Sim, told Sky News that he saw Kebatu come out of the prison saying “Where am I going? What am I doing?”.

He said that Kebatu knew that he should be deported but the prison staff were “basically sending him away” and saying to him “Go, you’ve been released, you go”.

The driver said: “He kept scratching his head and saying, ‘Where do I go, where do I go?’

“The fourth or fifth time [he went into the reception] he was starting to get upset, he was getting stressed.

“I’m not sticking up for the guy, but in my eyes, he was trying to do the right thing.

“He knew he was getting deported, but he didn’t know where he was going or how he should get there.”

Kebatu appears to have been spotted later in Chelmsford town centre asking for assistance before getting on to a train to London.

Commander James Conway said finding Kebatu was a “top priority” for the Met and that the investigation was being led by an “experienced investigating officer.”

“He has teams from the Specialist Crime Command with expertise in tracking down wanted people at his disposal, as well as other resources from across the Met,” he said.

“We are examining CCTV from that area and further afield, including on the transport network, to establish information about his subsequent movements.

“We will provide further updates when we can, but I hope the press and the public will understand why it would be unhelpful to the effectiveness of the manhunt if we were to provide a detailed running commentary.”

Anyone who sees Kebatu, or has information his whereabouts, has been urged to call 999.

No description of the offender, or what he is thought to be wearing has been released by police.

Stratford station is the fifth busiest in the UK, according to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), and has links to the London underground, London overground and Docklands Light Railway (DLR).

Sir Keir Starmer said the accidental release was “totally unacceptable”, adding: “I am appalled that it has happened and it’s being investigated.

“The police are working urgently to track him down, and my Government is supporting them.

“This man must be caught and deported for his crimes.”

Deputy Prime Minister Mr Lammy said he was “livid on behalf of the public” and added that he had launched an investigation.

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said Kebatu’s release was “staggering incompetence” and called for a public inquiry.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said of the error: “Britain is broken.”

A prison officer has been taken off duties to discharge prisoners while an investigation takes place.

A Prison Service spokesman said: “Public protection is our top priority and we have launched an investigation into this incident.”

Chelmsford’s Liberal Democrat MP Marie Goldman told the PA news agency she had been frustrated by a lack of communication from HMP Chelmsford’s governor, Mark Howard, and said she was “struggling” not to call for him to resign.

Aaron Stow, president of the Criminal Justice Workers’ Union (CJWU), said Kebatu’s mistaken release was “a profound failure of duty”.

He said: “The release of Hadush Kebatu is a betrayal of the victims, the community and the principles of justice. We demand a full investigation and immediate reforms to ensure this never happens again.”

In the 12 months to March this year, 262 prisoners were released in error in England and Wales, according to the prison service’s annual digest.

“This is a 128% increase from 115 the previous year, and the highest in the time series,” the report said.

“Of the 262 releases in error, 233 of these releases in error occurred from prison establishments, while 29 were released in error at the courts.”

A report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons after an inspection in January and February 2024 said HMP Chelmsford faced “considerable pressures” because of “national capacity issues” while suffering staff shortfalls in reception and the pre-release team.

It said: “The remand and unsentenced population had risen to almost 70% and the prison was now managing more admissions, transfers and immediate releases without additional resource.”

Sentencing Kebatu last month, a judge told him his behaviour “really highlights the poor regard you must have for women”.

The 38-year-old, who arrived in the UK on a small boat days before the incidents in July, told two teenagers he wanted to “have a baby with each of them” and attempted to kiss them, before putting his hand on one of the girls’ thighs and stroke her hair, his trial was told.

He 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 migrant was found guilty of five offences after a three-day trial at Chelmsford and Colchester magistrates’ courts in September.

The court heard at his sentencing hearing that it was his “firm wish” to be deported.

In court, Kebatu gave his date of birth through a translator as being in December 1986 making him 38 years old although Essex Police have said their records state his date of birth is in December 1983 making him 41 years old.

It is understood the Home Office was ready to take him to an immigration removal centre before a planned deportation.

Kebatu’s case led to protesters and counter-protesters taking to the streets in Epping, Essex, and eventually outside hotels housing asylum seekers across the country.

Chris Whitbread, the Conservative leader of Epping Forest District Council, said he was “shocked and appalled” at the “grave error” of Kebatu’s release.

He said: “There must also be a full and transparent investigation into how this happened and what safeguards will be put in place to ensure it never happens again.”