In just 117 days ‘repulsive’ asylum seeker has sparked national anger and crises

When District Judge Christopher Williams jailed Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu for the sexual assault of a 14-year-old, he said the asylum seeker “couldn’t have anticipated” his actions “would cause such a response from the public”.

In only 117 days since he arrived on a small boat from France, the actions of the former sports teacher from Ethiopia have sparked demonstrations around the country, acts of disorder, as well as a crisis for the Government’s asylum housing policy.

This was followed by humiliation for the Prison Service and the Government after Kebatu was accidentally released from HMP Chelmsford on Friday, with a manhunt involving Essex Police, the Met and British Transport Police launched.

On June 29, having travelled more than 5,000 miles through Sudan, Libya, Italy and France, Kebatu said he paid 2,500 euro (£2,155) to cross the English Channel in a “rubber dinghy”.

He was housed with other asylum seekers at the Bell Hotel in Epping and it was in the Essex town centre that his offending took place.

On July 7, just eight days after his arrival in the country, Kebatu was offered pizza by a 14-year-old girl sitting on a bench, his trial at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court was told.

He responded by making inappropriate comments to her 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?” before he tried to kiss her.

The trial also heard that a day later, he sexually assaulted a woman in Epping by trying to kiss her, putting his hand on her leg and telling her she was pretty.

This woman then later spotted him being inappropriate to the same teenage girl, who was wearing her school uniform, and called 999 which led to his arrest.

Kebatu was found 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.

In September, he was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years. He was also made the subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order.

He was also told that he faced deportation, which the court heard that he welcomed.

Giving evidence at his trial, Kebatu denied the offences and said with the help of a Tigrinya interpreter: “I’m not a wild animal.

“I can’t do these kind of things. These are children, new generation.”

The court also gained a small insight into the background of Kebatu who said that he was born in December 1986 making him 38 years old, although Essex Police say they have a date of December 1983 on file, which would mean he is 41.

He said that he had been a “teacher of sports” in his home country and added of the charges: “I can’t do these kind of things, this is anti-Christian – these are just children, innocent children.”

However, the Probation Service was not convinced and described Kebatu as “manipulative”.

District Judge Williams said Kebatu had a “poor regard” for women and told him: “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.”

Prosecutor Stuart Cowen told the court Kebatu had claimed not to know that the UK was so “strict”, although he knew the Ethiopian age of consent was 18.

Mr Cowen also said Kebatu was also aware that because of his crimes “the situation Epping is in chaos and he had got a lot of migrants in trouble”.

After his arrest, the ramifications spread beyond Epping, with tense protests and counter-protests spreading from Essex to outside migrant hotels across the country.

It also led to a temporary injunction being granted at the High Court blocking the accommodation of asylum seekers at the Bell Hotel, although this was later overturned by the Court of Appeal.

The accidental release of Kebatu has now caused massive embarrassment for the Government with calls for a public inquiry into how the error happened.