The 38-year-old told two teenagers he wanted to “have a baby with each of them” and attempted to kiss them.
The moment of Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu’s arrest (Image: PA)
Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, the asylum seeker convicted of sexually assaulting a woman and a 14-year-old girl while he was staying at Epping’s Bell Hotel, has been jailed for a total of 12 months At Chelmsford Crown Court. Ethiopian national Kebatu, who arrived in the UK on a small boat just days before the incidents, was found guilty of five offences after a three-day trial at Chelmsford and Colchester magistrates’ courts.
The 38-year-old 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 of the girls’ thighs and stroke her hair, his trial was told. The defendant, who said he was a “teacher of sports” in his home country, was also found to have sexually assaulted a woman by attempting to kiss her, putting his hand on her leg and telling her she was pretty.
Hadush Kebatu, 38, seen in a court drawing at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court. The Ethiopian asylum se (Image: Julia Quenzler / SWNS)
District Judge Christopher Williams ordered Kebatu to serve eight months for the assault on the woman, and a further four months for the assault on the girl.
In passing sentence, the judge said Kebatu had been well aware of the child’s age, not least because she was wearing a school uniform. He also pointed out that at one stage it had become apparent that Kebatu was aroused, adding: “It must’ve been disgusting and sickening to the girl what must’ve occurred.”
Kebatu said that “because of the situation Epping is in chaos and he had got a lot of migrants in trouble”, the court heard.
Stuart Cowen, prosecuting, told Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court that Ethiopian national Kebatu told the author of a pre-sentence report about him that he “felt very sad and felt a lot of remorse”.
However, he added: “The word manipulative is used within the report.
“There’s also comments made by Mr Kebatu when he stated he didn’t know the UK was so strict even though he knew the Ethiopian age of consent was 18.”
In reference to the widespread protests which engulfed the UK after Kebatu’s arrest, Mr Cowen continued: “He said because of the situation Epping is in chaos and he had got a lot of migrants in trouble.”
A 14-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted by asylum Kebatu has said in a victim personal statement that she is now “checking over my shoulder” when she is out with friends.
The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she prepared the statement “so that the man who did this to me understands what he has done to me – a 14-year-old girl”.
She continued: “Every time I go out with my friends, I’m checking over my shoulder. Wearing a skirt now makes me feel vulnerable and exposed.”
A CCTV image of Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu (Image: PA)
She added: “Seeing the bench (where the sexual assault took place) reminds me of everything that happened. I’m aware there have been protests because of what has happened – I’m lucky that I was not in the country when that happened.”
The member of the public who was sexually assaulted by Kebatu said the defendant “did not even appear to know that what he’s done was wrong”.
In her victim personal statement, the woman, who also cannot be named for legal reasons, said: “Since the incident, I feel both angered and frustrated.
“He did not even appear to know that what he’s done was wrong. The incident has left me feeling worried to leave my house. I think about this incident most nights before bed.
“This incident has left me really angry as I do not stand for this behaviour, it makes me really angry.
“I want him to feel guilty for what he put us through. How would he feel if this was his mother, his daughter, his wife?”
The incident triggered protests outside the Bell Hotel and elsewhere (Image: PA)
Molly Dyas, mitigating for Kebatu, said the defendant’s “firm wish is to be deported as soon as possible”.
She told Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court: “That was his view before the trial, and that remains his view today.”
She said he was an “asylum seeker who made a difficult and lengthy journey from east Africa including the last part on a small boat” with no previous convictions recorded “including in the European countries he travelled through to reach the UK”.
Ms Dyas said Kebatu had “reported to the probation service that he’s suffering from mental health difficulties”.
Passing sentence, District Judge Christopher Williams said he agreed with the author of a pre-sentence report that Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu was “manipulative” when interviewed by a probation officer.
He said: “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.”
Kebatu “couldn’t have anticipated” his offending “would cause such a response from the public”, Judge Williams acknowledged.
He explained: “Particularly in Epping, but also across the UK resulting in mass demonstrations and fear that children in the UK are not safe. 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.”
The judge said Kebatu told a probation officer he was “aware of the unrest that the offending had caused” and knew that “other law-abiding asylum seekers were impacted by the offending”. Kebatu posed a “significant risk of reoffending”, he warned.
Kebatu bowed his head to the judge before he was led to the cells at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court. The judge said it appeared Kebatu had “attempted on at least one occasion to take your own life”.
He said he must sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years, and made him subject of a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He also ordered that Kebatu pay £650 prosecution costs and a £187 victim surcharge.
