A convicted child sex offender who was mistakenly released from prison after arriving in the UK on a small boat has been deported to Ethiopia after receiving a £500 discretionary payment from public funds. Hadush Kebatu, an Ethiopian national, was flown back to his home country on Tuesday night after threatening to challenge his removal shortly before his flight.
Kebatu had been wrongly freed from HMP Chelmsford on Friday morning instead of being transferred to an immigration detention centre, triggering a two-day manhunt. Speaking from Ethiopia, he claimed he tried to hand himself in to police but was ignored. The Metropolitan Police said there was no evidence to support this claim, stating that his actions were more like those of someone trying to avoid officers.
The Home Office confirmed that Kebatu was removed with five escorts and has no right to return to Britain. The payment was approved by officials, not ministers, as an operational decision to facilitate his removal after he threatened to disrupt the flight. Downing Street said the alternative would have been a slower and more expensive process, including detention and potential legal claims.
Kebatu arrived in the UK on 29 June and was housed in Epping. Eight days later, he sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl and a woman, leading to public disorder outside his hotel. He was sentenced to 12 months in prison for two sexual assaults, harassment, and inciting sexual activity. The case has highlighted concerns about the UK's ability to control irregular migration and failures within the criminal justice system.
