Asylum seeker jailed for twelve months for Epping assault

An asylum seeker hotel resident who sparked nationwide protests after sexually assaulting a woman and a 14-year-old girl has been jailed for 12 months.

Ethiopian national Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, who arrived in the UK on a small boat days before the incidents, was found guilty of five offences following a three-day trial at Chelmsford and Colchester magistrates' courts.

On Tuesday, a judge told the 38-year-old his behaviour "really highlights the poor regard you must have for women" adding that he was "feeling sorry for yourself, knowing you were well and truly caught."

The sentencing hearing at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court heard Kebatu wants to be deported after serving his time in prison, with his defence lawyer Molly Dyas telling the court it is a view he held "before the trial".

District Judge Christopher Williams previously found Kebatu 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.

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