Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, an Ethiopian asylum seeker whose arrest sparked far-right protests outside a hotel in Epping, has denied sexually assaulting two teenagers and a woman. Appearing at Colchester Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, Kebatu told the court through an interpreter: 'I'm not a wild animal. I can't do these kind of things.'
Kebatu, who said he was a sports teacher in Ethiopia, faces three counts of sexual assault against two 14-year-old girls and a woman, as well as one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and one count of harassment without violence. The alleged incidents occurred in Epping town centre on 7 and 8 July.
The defendant claimed he only said 'hello' to the schoolgirl and her friends because he was worried about his asylum case. He also alleged that the adult accuser was drunk and had threatened to call the police if he did not go to her house. When asked about CCTV footage showing him on his knees apologising to the woman, Kebatu said he was trying to calm her down and was concerned about the impact on other immigrants.
The woman, who gave evidence via video link, said she was 'shocked' and 'angry' after Kebatu touched her thigh and she witnessed him touching one of the girls. She denied making up the allegations, stating: 'I know exactly what I saw. I've no issue with asylum seekers... I was angry that he had touched a 14-year-old girl.'
Prosecutor Stuart Cowen accused Kebatu of being a 'sexual predator', but Kebatu responded: 'I am not such a person. I can't do these kind of things.' The court heard that Kebatu had been living at the Bell hotel for about a week before his arrest, having travelled to the UK via Sudan, Libya, Italy and France, paying around €1,800 to cross the Channel in a small boat.
Kebatu's arrest last month led to weeks of violent demonstrations outside the Bell hotel, and Epping Forest Council has since obtained a court injunction to stop the hotel being used to house asylum seekers. District Judge Christopher Williams adjourned the trial until 4 September.
