Overview

• District Judge Christopher Williams handed Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu a 12‑month custodial term, ordered him to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years, imposed a five‑year Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and required payment of prosecution costs and a victim surcharge.
• Kebatu was convicted of five offences — two sexual assaults, attempted sexual assault, inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, and harassment — for incidents in Epping on July 7–8, days after he arrived in the UK by small boat.
• The judge said Kebatu was manipulative, showed shame over the consequences rather than the offences, posed a significant risk of reoffending, and had little prospect of rehabilitation; his lawyer said he wants to be deported.
• Victim statements described lasting fear and anxiety, with the 14‑year‑old saying she now checks over her shoulder and the adult victim reporting she feels worried to leave her house.
• His arrest outside the Bell Hotel became a flashpoint for weeks of protests that spread to other towns, and a High Court hearing over the hotel’s use for asylum accommodation is scheduled for October.