Epping migrant sex offender recaptured after prison blunder

He had been convicted in September for sexually assaulting a teenage girl and a woman while living at The Bell Hotel in Epping, which was being used to house asylum seekers.

Hadush Kebatu’s offences date back to incidents in Epping in July this year, after he had been in the country for 8 days.

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In September, Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court heard that Kebatu had approached a 14-year-old girl on a bench, tried to kiss her, and made a series of sexually explicit remarks.

The next day, he saw the same girl again and sexually assaulted her, before later targeting a woman who had offered to help him write a CV to find work — assaulting her during a meeting.

He denied all charges but was found guilty of five offences in total.

The sentencing judge described Kebatu as posing a “significant risk of reoffending” and noted he had served time in custody before sentencing.

He received a 12-month custodial sentence, a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

Under the UK Borders Act 2007, any foreign national sentenced to 12 months or more must be considered for automatic deportation — a process that was under way when he was wrongly freed.

Essex Police were first notified of his mistaken release at 12:57 on Friday, but Kebatu had already boarded a train to east London 16 minutes earlier.

He was later seen on CCTV speaking to members of the public in Chelmsford city centre, and subsequently recorded inside a library in Dalston Square, still in his grey tracksuit and carrying a white bag printed with avocados.

Police later confirmed he made several train journeys across London during the 48 hours he was unlawfully at large.

There were concerns that the 41-year-old might pose a risk to the public but also fears that publicity around his case could provoke vigilante reprisals.

Kebatu’s wrongful release is the latest in a rapidly growing series of such incidents across England and Wales.

Official figures from His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) show that between April 2024 and March 2025, 262 prisoners were released in error — more than double the previous year’s total of 115.

That continues a sharp upward trend - from a baseline of around 50 per year pre 2020 - blamed on overcrowding, tagging glitches, and early-release automation errors.

A senior Chelmsford officer told reporters the error was likely the result of “a series of mistakes because staff are overworked and in short supply.”

He added:

“It’s not just one officer’s fault — that would be unfair.”

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Justice Secretary David Lammy both condemned the mistake, describing it as “completely unacceptable.”

Health Secretary Wes Streeting called Kebatu’s arrest “a huge relief” and confirmed the government would be “open and transparent” about what went wrong.

Former Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said an inquiry was vital to “learn lessons”, warning that the prison system was underfunded and overstretched:

“The entire annual budget of the Ministry of Justice is spent by the Department for Work and Pensions in two weeks. My plea is to give the prison service the resources to retain skilled staff.”

Chelmsford MP Marie Goldman said Kebatu “must now be deported” and demanded a national review.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage claimed the case showed Britain’s “once-trusted institutions — police and prisons alike — are disintegrating before our eyes.

Though the manhunt is now over, the questions left behind — about competence, safety, and public confidence — are only growing louder.

Kebatu has spent most of his time in the UK in prison, either as a suspect or convicted criminal, after having committed his offences after 8 days in the country. This highlights the risks of unvetted asylum seekers being placed in local communities.

For the victims in Epping, and for the prison officers under scrutiny, the fallout from this administrative blunder is likely to last far longer than the chase itself.

Hadush Kebatu remains in custody and is expected to be deported within days.

A full independent inquiry into his release will be announced in Parliament on Monday.