A MIGRANT has been charged after allegedly sexually assaulting a man at the Bell Hotel – just weeks after fierce protests erupted outside.
Mohammed Sharwarq, 32, who lives at the hotel in Epping, Essex, will appear in court today.
GoogleA man will appear in court today after officers made an arrest at the Bell Hotel yesterday[/caption]
PAThe arrest comes just weeks after a series of protests outside the hotel[/caption]
Officers were called to his accommodation on Epping High Road yesterday.
Syrian national Sharwarq was then arrested and questioned after allegedly attacking another man between July 25 and yesterday.
He has been charged with two counts of common assault, four counts of assault by beating and one count of sexual assault.
Essex Police confirmed that they were not hunting for any other suspects in relation to the assaults.
A spokesperson for the force said: “A man will appear in court today to face criminal charges after officers were called to the Bell Hotel on Epping High Road on Tuesday 12 August.
“A 32-year-old man was arrested and questioned.
“Mohammed Sharwarq, a Syrian national who resides at The Bell Hotel, Epping has been charged with the following offences: two counts of common assault; four counts of assault by beating; one count of sexual assault on a male contrary to section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
“The offences are alleged to have taken place between 25 July and 12 August.
“He has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court today, Wednesday 13 August.”
The Bell Hotel hit headlines last month when chaos erupted outside following an asylum seeker appearing in court charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.
Protests were sparked after Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, who had been living at the hotel, was arrested and charged with three counts of sexual assault.
The 38-year-old Ethiopian was also charged with one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and one count of harassment without violence.
He appeared at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on July 10, where he denied all charges.
The unrest saw yobs launching themselves on riot vans, smashing windshields and ripping off wingmirrors in senseless displays of “hooliganism”.
One thug was even run over while attempting to stop a police van gaining access to the hotel.
Another man had his teeth knocked out after riot cops smashed a shield into his face in a brutal clash.
Since tensions reached boiling point, violent demonstrations have cost the force £100,000.
Last month, cops arrested 16 suspects in a crackdown after disorder broke out at the Epping Migrant hotel.
Essex Police released bodycam footage of one arrest, where they demanded the man put his hands up before handcuffing him in his living room.
Detectives searched his home for clothing he allegedly wore on a day of disorder – when a ‘ring of steel’ was ramped up around two migrant hotels, including the Britannia Hotel, in Canary Wharf.
The 16 arrests were for offences including violent disorder and criminal damage, and six people have been charged.
The protest, outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, began peacefully but escalated into what officers described as “scattered incidents of violence” targeting police and property.
Eight officers were injured and a number of police vehicles were damaged as missiles were thrown
Shutterstock EditorialViolent clashes have broken out in recent weeks outside the Bell Hotel[/caption]
Shutterstock EditorialIt comes weeks after protests erupted outside the hotel[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
