A migrant hotel resident who authorities lost track of despite being wanted for violence and drug offences was in prison all along, it emerged today.
It was assumed 'fugitive' Kenson Noel was on the run after he failed to show up for a court case for assaulting two female police officers, including attempting to bite and headbutt. His solicitor had been unable to contact him as he was no longer living at the Roundhouse Hotel in Bournemouth, Dorset.
Trial proceeded in absence
The trial went ahead in Noel's absence after the prosecution argued there was no good reason to adjourn it for another day. The defendant was found guilty of the assaults and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
However, it has now emerged that Noel was in jail all along after he was arrested by another force and remanded into custody for a separate drug dealing matter.
The court heard he didn't tell prison staff about his trial on August 19, and his whereabouts were apparently not disclosed to the courts by the Home Office.
History of offences
Noel, 31, has now appeared in court via prison video link to be sentenced for the assault on two officers at the Roundhouse Hotel. He was an illegal immigrant from Trinidad and Tobago and came to the UK in 2024 after fleeing drug gangs there.
He was sent to live on the Bibby Stockholm migrant barge in Portland, Dorset, but when he boarded he was found to have 6.5g of cannabis on him along with a set of scales, bags and £800 of cash. As he was being arrested, he bit the police officer on the elbow. Noel was let off with a community order.
After the barge was scrapped in 2025, he was sent to live at the migrant hotel in Bournemouth. On June 26, 2025, Noel was arrested in Bournemouth Lower Gardens, which was a known drug dealing spot. He jumped into a stream to evade police officers but when he was caught he was found to have 9.5g of cocaine on him.
He threw a mobile phone into the stream and, although it was recovered, the water damage meant police couldn't analyse it. Noel was released on bail and carried on living at the Roundhouse.
Sentencing
On October 27 last year, police were called to arrest Noel after he became aggressive and locked himself in his room. As he was being detained, he tried to headbutt PC Maddie Duncanson and then attempted to bite her and PC Sinead Sheath. He also spat at PC Duncanson.
Noel appeared before magistrates in November 2025 for two charges of assault which he denied, and his trial was listed for August 19.
Charles Nightingale, prosecuting, said: "He was on unconditional bail. On the day of the trial he didn't attend and the matter proceeded in his absence.
"In the meantime between November 2025 and August 19 the defendant had been arrested and remanded in respect of other matters. He was in custody as of August 19."
Mr Nightingale said the defendant was fully aware of his trial date and it was his responsibility to have informed prison staff of it. By not doing so, he had absented himself from the trial, Mr Nightingale said.
Noel was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court to three years and three months for possessing cocaine with intent to supply.
Ewa Russell, defending, accepted Noel could have been proactive and informed the court he was in prison, but the case had slipped his mind after being arrested and remanded into custody for drug dealing.
She said: "These are two assaults where no contact was made and luckily no injury was suffered by either of the two officers."
In relation to the drug possession charge, which Noel admitted, she said the cocaine was for his own personal use. He was sentenced to a total of eight months for the assault on the two officers and these will run concurrently with the three years and three months he is already serving.
