Prison mistakenly released migrant sex offender despite him ‘returning four or five times to reception’
An immigrant sex offender who was mistakenly released from prison was seen hanging outside for about “an hour and a half” by a delivery driver while returning to reception “four or five times”.
Hadush Kebatu was sentenced to 12 months in prison for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and another woman in September. The former asylum seeker, who was living in the Bell Hotel in Epping, was due to be deported but was mistakenly released from HMP Chelmsford on Friday.
The Met Police are leading the search for the 38-year-old and detectives say he made several train journeys in London on Friday and then got off at Stratford, the UK’s fifth busiest railway station, at 1.10pm.
On Saturday, police chiefs appealed directly to Kebatu, while an interview with a delivery driver was broadcast on Sky News. The driver said he was talking to Kebatu while he was delivering a refrigerator when he was released.
Driver Sim said he knew Kebatu had to be deported and asked prison staff “what he should do”, returning to prison reception “four or five times”.
“He came out of the airlock and kept saying to the officers there, ‘Where am I going? What am I doing? I don’t know where I’m going and what I’m doing,'” Sim said. Sky News.
“He had a package of documents and a bag of items in his arms… He knew he was being deported. He came up to me and said, ‘I need you to help me’.”
He said a member of prison staff “told him he had to get on the train” and directed Kebatu to Chelmsford station to catch the train to London, telling him: “You’re released, you’re released.”
He said Kebatu waited outside the prison for about “an hour and a half” before leaving, “starting to get upset and stressed” and “trying to do the right thing”.
“He was scratching his head and saying, ‘Where do I go, where do I go?'” Sim said. he said.
“For the fourth or fifth time [he went into the reception] He was starting to get upset and stressed. I don’t stand behind the guy, but in my eyes he was trying to do the right thing. “He knew he was going to be deported, but he didn’t know where to go or how to get there.”
A police manhunt began after Kebatu was wrongly classified as a prisoner because he was released on licence, and was given a £76 release grant. Telegram reported.
While the investigation was ongoing, a prison officer was dismissed to evacuate the prisoners.
Videos circulating online showed a man resembling Kebatu, wearing a gray tracksuit and carrying a plastic bag, in Chelmsford town center shortly after his release.
The Met Police said he was last seen at Stratford station after boarding a train to London at Chelmsford.
In an update on Saturday, police said Kebatu had access to funds and made numerous train journeys across London
Commander James Conway, who was leading the manhunt, urged Kebati to surrender. “I am making a direct appeal to Mr. Kabatu. We want to locate you in a safe and controlled manner,” he said.
“You had already expressed your desire to return to Ethiopia when speaking to immigration personnel.
“The best outcome for you is to contact us directly by calling 999 or going to the police station.”
Independent He contacted the Ministry of Justice and forwarded a request for an explanation to deputy prime minister David Lammy, who had previously said he was “outraged on behalf of the public”.
He added: “I spoke to the interior minister today. To make this happen, I launched an investigation into what happened in the prison.
“But what’s important is that we protect the public. What’s important is that the police can do their job and find this person.”
At the hearing where Kebatu was found guilty of sexually assaulting a girl, it was heard that he told two young people that he “wanted to make a baby with each of them” and tried to kiss them, then put his hand on the hip of one of the girls and caressed her hair.
It was also revealed that he sexually assaulted a woman by trying to kiss her, placing his hand on her leg and telling her she was beautiful.
The migrant was found guilty of five offenses following a three-day trial at Chelmsford and Colchester magistrates’ courts in September.
