Migrant sex offender received £500 after threatening to disrupt deportation

A migrant sex offender who was mistakenly released from prison was given £500 after threatening to disrupt his deportation flight back to Ethiopia, Downing Street said.

The payment to Hadush Kebatu was an “operational decision” taken to avoid the risk of delay to his return and the higher cost of cancelling his journey, which would have run into several thousands of pounds, No 10 said.

The Ethiopian national was forcibly removed to his home country on Tuesday night with a team of five escorts on the flight, and arrived on Wednesday morning with no right to return to Britain, the Home Office said.

Downing Street said he had attempted to apply for a “facilitated return scheme,” which under successive governments has offered foreign nationals resettlement grants of up to £1,500, but the bid was denied.

“However, given Kebatu threatened to disrupt the flight, an operational decision was taken to facilitate his return,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.

“The alternative was a slower, more expensive process for the taxpayer, which would have included detention, a new flight and potentially fighting subsequent legal claims, and the cost of cancelling the flight alone would have run into several thousands of pounds.”

It is understood Kebatu had been compliant but started to make threats he would put in a legal claim to block his removal on Tuesday.

The move to hand him £500 was described by the Conservatives as an “absolute disgrace”.

Party leader Kemi Badenoch’s spokesman said: “We have said we need to leave the ECHR (European Convention on Human Rights) and deport all foreign criminals as soon as possible, and we certainly shouldn’t be giving them taxpayers’ money to leave our country.”

Kebatu had been wrongly freed from HMP Chelmsford on Friday morning instead of being sent to an immigration detention centre, triggering a two-day manhunt.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she shared the public’s anger over his release and had “pulled every lever” to remove him from British soil, but opposition MPs said his deportation did not excuse the fiasco.

Kebatu had been living at the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, when he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl and a woman, sparking a wave of protests outside the accommodation used to house asylum seekers.

The incident has prompted an independent inquiry to find out what went wrong and a prison officer has been suspended while the probe is carried out.

Prisons have also been told to start a series of enhanced checks before inmates are released after the mistake.

Ms Mahmood said: “Last week’s blunder should never have happened, and I share the public’s anger that it did. I would like to thank the police for rapidly bringing Mr Kebatu into custody and the public for their vigilance.

“I have pulled every lever to deport Mr Kebatu and remove him off British soil. I am pleased to confirm this vile child sex offender has been deported. Our streets are safer because of it.

“If you come to this country and commit crimes, we will remove you.”

It is understood that Kebatu, who crossed the Channel in a small boat to enter the UK on June 29, left prison on Friday with some personal money but did not receive a discharge grant.

Ministers did not approve the £500 payment made to him upon his deportation, which was an operational decision, it is understood.

His trial heard he had made inappropriate comments to a 14-year-old girl before trying to kiss her on July 7, just eight days after his arrival in the UK.

The following day, he sexually assaulted a woman by attempting to kiss her, placing his hand on her leg, and telling her she was “pretty”.

He denied the charges against him but was found guilty of five offences and sentenced in September to 12 months in custody, including the time he had already spent in jail awaiting his trial.

The court heard it was his “firm wish” to leave the UK.