AN EPPING hotel migrant jailed for sexually assaulting a schoolgirl is being “protected” in a cushy prison where lags can learn to be barbers or baristas.
Hadush Kebatu is having contact with other inmates at the Category B jail – which previously held shamed reality star Stephen Bear – limited for his own protection.
Hadush Kebatu is being “protected” in a cushy prison where lags can learn to be barbers or baristasEssex Police
PAKebatu was jailed for sexual assault[/caption]
BPMHe was staying at the Bell Hotel in Epping at the time[/caption]
And the Ethiopian, whose arrest sparked protests outside the Bell Hotel in Epping and others nationally, is also listed as being an “escape risk” from HMP Chelmsford in Essex.
Kebatu, 41, has been placed on a “standard” regime at the jail which means he is allowed a Freeview TV, access to books and gym visits – and is given around £20 per week in the prison shop.
Lags fill in a “canteen sheets” and can order treats including cheese puffs, Oreo cookies and Kinder chocolate – plus toiletries, greetings cards, batteries, vapes and phone credit.
Courses on offer for inmates include hairdressing, art, information technology and cookery – while charity Combat 2 Coffee runs barista training at the jail.
A source said: “Kebatu is being protected and treated with kid gloves – and his life in prison will be almost as comfortable as it was at the hotel he has come from.
“He is in somewhere which is pretty cushy compared to a lot of the tougher prisons in Britain which are hell-holes.
“And he is pretty much on a no-mixing regime, which means he is being kept away from other inmates, mainly for his own safety.
“His case was so high-profile it has made him a target, especially as new arrival in jail.
“He is not on full segregation but they are being very careful with him
“But he will ultimately be able to fully mix and will be put with others who don’t think his crimes are that serious.
“Kebatu is also seen as someone who could try to escape, and this is because of something in his past, like trying to flee from police or the fact he came into the UK illegally.
“He is flagged as a risk although he has not tried to escape from the jail.
“But, while he is in Chelmsford, he will be pretty comfortable.
“He is already on a standard regime, which is the second highest, and he can lounge around watching TV and ordering treats from the canteen which will be delivered to his cell by officers.
“It is pretty shocking he is in the same jail as Stephen Bear was held in – it shows they have put him on easy street in prison terms.”
Celebrity Big Brother star Bear, 35 – jailed for flogging a sex tape of his Love Island ex Georgia Harrison – earned money at Chelmsford by packing tea and coffee portion for fellow lags.
Epping hotel migrant who sexually assaulted girl, 14, says he ‘didn’t know UK was so strict’ as he faces deportation
A MIGRANT has been jailed for 12 months for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl after he invited her back to his Epping hotel to “make babies”.
Hadush Kebatu, 41, put his hand on the teen’s thigh, tried to kiss her, and told her he wanted to marry her while she was in her school uniform.
The Ethiopian migrant, who previously worked as a teacher, carried out the attacks just eight days after arriving in Britain on a small boat.
The Home Office has now confirmed it will seek to deport Kebatu.
A spokesperson said: “It is our longstanding policy not to comment on individual cases, but when foreign nationals commit serious crimes in our country, we will always do everything in our power to deport them.
“This Government deported almost 5,200 foreign national offenders in its first year in office, a 14% increase on the previous year, and we will continue to do everything we can to remove these vile criminals from our streets.”
Sentencing Judge Christopher Williams told Kebatu, who appeared in the dock wearing a grey jumper, that he showed “no remorse at all”.
He said Kebatu, who sat with his hands clasped together, knew “full well” how old his victim was and he had a “poor regard for women.”
Kebatu was living at the controversial Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, which has been at the centre of a landmark court battle.
The sex attack sparked mass anti-immigration protests across the UK, with frustrated Brits demanding that asylum hotels be emptied.
Kebatu, who was assisted by a Tigrinya interpreter in court, has now been jailed after he was convicted of five sex charges.
They include sexually assaulting the 14-year-old girl and inciting her to engage in sexual activity.
Prosecutor Stuart Cowen today said that as part of a pre-sentence report, Kebatu had said he did “feel a lot of remorse” .
Mr Cowen said his client “did not know the UK was so strict”, but did know the age of consent was “18 in Ethiopia”.
He was also found guilty of attempting to sexually assault the teen, harassment without violence and sexually assaulting a woman who had stepped in to help.
He walked free in January 2024 after serving just 10 months of a 21-month term.
Other former prisoners at Chelmsford include ex-footballer Tony Adams – jailed for drink-driving in 1990 – and 1960s gangster ‘Mad’ Frankie Fraser.
The 1979 film version of classic comedy Porridge was mostly shot on location at HMP Chelmsford, while it was empty after a fire.
Kebatu was last month jailed for a year after touching and trying to kiss a 14-year-old girl on two consecuitive days in July near the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex.
His victim was in school uniform and he targeted her eight days after arriving in the UK on a dinghy packed with migrants.
Kebatu spotted the schoolgirl and a pal eating pizza in Epping and invited them back to the hotel and told them he wanted them to have his babies.
He is likely to be deported after serving around half of his 12-month sentence.
A Prison Service spokesperson did not comment.
PAKebatu wept as he was arrested by police[/caption]
AlamyThe attack sparked protests across the UK[/caption]
GettyBear, 35 – jailed for flogging a sex tape of his Love Island ex Georgia Harrison – earned money at Chelmsford by packing tea and coffee portion for fellow lags[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
