'Manipulative' Bell Hotel migrant Hadush Kebatu said 'UK too strict' after he was convicted of sex assault on girl 14 in Epping

THE newly arrived migrant at The Bell Hotel in Epping who was found guilty of all charges after he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl in Epping said the UK was "too strict" after he was found guilty.

Hadush Kebatu, from Ethiopia, (above in police bodycam footage) sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl and told her and her friend "you would be a good wife" during one of two encounters in Epping, Essex, on 7 and 8 July.

Today at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court District Judge Christopher Williams sentenced him to 12 months in prison for all five counts. But he will be considered for early release after serving less than five months (40 percent).

Judge Williams said: "On the 7th July you approached (victim 1), a 14 year old girl and her friends. You told V1 and her friend that they were pretty, that you wanted to have babies with them and you invited them back to the Bell Hotel. You followed them around the Epping area. When you encountered them again you made inappropriate remarks. You offered V1, and her friends, some alcohol. None of them took this from you. You attempted to kiss V1 and she moved her head away to prevent you doing so."

Judge Williams said he has shown no remorse or insight into the offending.

He said: "The report indicates that you were very reluctant to speak about the offending. It suggests that you raise a lack of English and mental health difficulties as reasons why you either cannot remember what happened or cannot talk about the offending. The probation officer did not consider that this was accurate and concluded that you were being manipulative.

"I agree with that assessment. You repeatedly apologised during the probation interview. You repeatedly cried and said that you were ashamed. You also suggested that the United Kingdom was too strict. But you offered no explanation for any of this.

"It is evident that your shame and remorse is not because of the offences that you have committed, but because of the impact they have had. You told the probation officer that you were aware of the unrest that your offending had caused. You acknowledged that other, law abiding, asylum seekers were impacted by the offending. However, in the same interview you seek to portray yourself as the victim and suggest that you have been made a scapegoat.

"You show no remorse at all for your behaviour. You chose not to talk about yourself, your circumstances or of your journey from Ethiopia to the United Kingdom. I had anticipated that there would be evidence of some traumatic life experiences, but your refusal to engage and open up to probation means that there remains little known about you. I have no doubt that the author of the report is correct when they state that you

could not have anticipated that your offending behaviour as an asylum seeker, housed at The Bell Hotel, would have caused such a response from the public, particularly in Epping, but also across the UK, resulting in mass demonstrations from a fear that children."

He will go on the sex offenders register for ten years and be monitored by police under a sexial harm prevention order with strict limitations for five years.

He was ordered to pay prosecution costs of £650 and a mandatory surcharge in the sum of £187.

The court heard he had attempted suicide while on remand.

Before the sentence, Defence barrister Molly Dyas said: "Mr Kebatu has no previous convictions, including the European countries he travelled through to get to the UK."

She said he faced a "difficult and lengthy journey" from East Africa, including the use of a small boat to get into the UK.

She added: "Mr Kebatu's firm wish is to be deported as soon as possible."

There was no mention of deportation during the sentence, but Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said it should be as soon as he is released.

In the trial, another defence barrister, Ms Dyas said the evidence given against Mr Kebatu was "inconsistent" and she urged the judge to find him not guilty. She said Mr Kebatu "strongly disputes any of the conduct alleged against him," and added that her client had "no motivation" to commit these crimes.

She said: "He disputes most of the interaction with this group. He does not accept he called one of the girls pretty or that he made any of the alleged comments, except for saying 'Hi'."

Prosecutor Stuart Cowen deliver said in his closing statements that when the children allegedly approached by Mr Kebatu on 7 July they were trying to help him, but Mr Kebatu's response was to "abuse their good intentions and sexually corrupt them."

He said: "It would've been obvious they were children."

Mr Kebatu's suggested that the alleged adult victim conspired with the children to frame him, but Mr Cowen said the theory "lacks any credibility whatsoever".

Kebatu's arrest led to the wave of anti-immigration protests outside the hotel where he was staying as an asylum seeker.

Last month at Colchester Magistrates' Court he earlier denied the attempted sexual assault of the girl on 7 July, sexual assault of the same girl on 8 July, sexual assault of a woman on 8 July, inciting the girl to engage in sexual activity on 8 July and harassment without violence of the girl on 7 and 8 July.

The trial was told the asylum seeker approached the victim and her friend, who were eating pizza in Epping town centre, on 7 July.

A witness, a boy who was with the 14-year-olds, said: "He was mainly just interested in them two because they were girls."

He said he overheard the asylum seeker telling them: "Come back to Africa, you would be a good wife."

One witness said they overheard him say he was from Africa and had paid 2,500 euro (£2,155) to arrive in the UK on a "rubber dinghy".

It was alleged the defendant saw the girl and her friends the following day, placing his hand on her thigh and attempting to kiss her on a bench.

She told police she "froze" during the incident and told Mr Kebatu: "No, I'm 14," but claimed he responded: "Age did not matter".

"I felt sick to my stomach. I didn't think a fully grown man would think it was OK to do that," she said on the first day of the trial, which started last month.

The court heard the girls managed to leave Mr Kebatu after a woman engaged him in conversation about his CV.

The alleged victim told the court of feeling "shocked, uncomfortable" when Mr Kebatu then put his hand on her thigh.

The woman called the police when, moments later, she saw the man talking to one of the 14-year-old girls.

Her 999 call to the police was played to the court, in which she could be heard screaming: "Get away from them kids".

Kebatu denied all the offences.

No DNA from the girl was found on his hand.

Giving evidence, he said: "The girl could be my daughter, she is very young.

"I'm not a wild animal. These are children, the future of tomorrow, the new generation."

Mr Kebatu said he was worried about his asylum claim and the outcome of his trial on his fellow migrants.

Asked if he told the girls he wanted to have a baby with them, he said "never", adding that he was a sports teacher in Ethiopia.

Before delivering his verdict, the Judge said: "It is not lost on me the significant press and public interest in this case.

"There is clear and consistent evidence Mr Kebatu interacted with the children on the 7th and 8th of July," the judge says.

"While Mr Kebatu's account was he only said 'hi', every child witness gave the same account about Mr Kebatu approaching them, asking for pizza, eating pizza with them and talking to them.

"All three of the children who gave evidence Mr Kebatu knew [one of the girls] was 14.

"I am not persuaded there is any evidence any of the children fabricated the accounts they gave.

"In fact, some of the inconsistencies… make it less likely they concocted their evidence together."

He recorded guilty verdicts.

The judge adjourned sentencing until 23 September for a pre-sentence report and warned "an immediate custodial sentence" was the most likely outcome, adding: "It is just a question of how long."

Rebecca Mundy, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor with CPS East of England, said: “This was an incident which became a cause of deep concern for the local community.

“Our prosecutors worked carefully and impartially to bring this case to justice according to the law.

“Close and effective collaboration between Essex Police and our out-of-hours prosecution team ensured Kebatu was promptly arrested, charged and remanded.

“The CPS is determined to pursue justice for victims, working with our law enforcement partners to hold sex offenders accountable.”

Essex Police Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hooper said: "This conviction has only been achieved because of the bravery of two women who were the victim of sexual offences and felt they could come to us for help.

“They came forward and trusted us with their experience and today I want to say a personal thank you to them for their courage.

“As a result of the strong connections with the Crown Prosecution Service and the key witness statements, Kebatu’s version of events in Epping was completely discredited.

“I don’t think the public could expect me to speak on this case without also addressing the wider issues which it has raised in Epping and further afield.

“Many people have wanted to make their voices heard legitimately on these issues. Some, however, have used them as a reason to commit crime and to carry out disorder and that’s not acceptable.

“No crime can become an excuse for what we’ve seen at times in Epping throughout the summer.

“We’ve always said that we treat and investigate every report made to us without fear or favour.

“This is what we at Essex Police do, all year round. We respond when people need us, we investigate crimes and we achieve convictions which protect the public.”

How the crime unfolded:

On the afternoon of 7 July 2025, Kebatu tried to kiss the young girl on a bench in Epping High Street before asking her to kiss him, whilst making sexually explicit comments.

The following afternoon, Kebatu encountered the same girl and again repeatedly tried to kiss her before sexually assaulting her. He made further sexually explicit requests of the girl, who informed him of her age and was wearing her school uniform in both encounters.

Shortly before this, Kebatu had sexually assaulted and attempted to kiss an adult woman who had offered him assistance crafting a CV.

Upon seeing Kebatu interacting with the child, she notified police and he was arrested.

Building the case:

Charges against Kebatu were authorised promptly by prosecutors with CPS Direct – the CPS’ out-of-hours service – before being taken forward by prosecutors in the CPS’ East of England Area.

Challenging Kebatu’s not guilty plea at trial, prosecutors used video evidence intertwined with strong witness testimony to prove his guilt.

Both victims, who were unknown to each other, provided strikingly similar accounts of the actions and words Kebatu used.

The CPS also applied for special measures at trial to ensure the victims had as much support as possible during the trial process.

Following a two-day trial held at Chelmsford and Colchester magistrates’ courts, Kebatu was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault, and one count each of attempted sexual assault, inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, and harassment.

Check back for sentencing details.