Police searching for a convicted sex offender who was mistakenly released from prison are urging him to hand himself in. Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, a 41-year-old Ethiopian national, was freed from HMP Chelmsford on Friday despite being due for deportation to an immigration detention centre.
Kebatu was jailed for 12 months in September for sexually assaulting a woman and a 14-year-old girl, and was also made subject to a five-year sexual harm prevention order. The Metropolitan Police said he was released wearing a prison-issued grey tracksuit and carrying a plastic bag, and has since made several train journeys across London.
Commander James Conway made a direct appeal to Kebatu, saying: "We want to locate you in a safe and controlled way. You had already indicated a desire to return to Ethiopia when speaking to immigration staff. The best outcome for you is to make contact directly with us by either calling 999 or reporting yourself to a police station." Officers believe Kebatu has access to funds and has sought help from members of the public and station staff.
The mistake came to light after a delivery driver described seeing Kebatu return to HMP Chelmsford in a "very confused" state four or five times, only to be turned away by prison staff. The driver, named only as Sim, said Kebatu repeatedly asked "Where am I going? What am I doing?" and knew he should be deported. It is understood the prison officer who authorised the release has been removed from duties while an urgent investigation takes place.
Kebatu was last seen shortly before 8pm on Friday in the Dalston area of Hackney, now carrying a distinctive white bag with pictures of avocados on it. He had earlier been seen catching a train at Chelmsford station at 12.41pm and arriving in Stratford, east London, at about 1.10pm. The Met, which took over the investigation on Saturday morning, has deployed additional officers to search the area and is examining CCTV from the transport network.
