An individual convicted of sexual offenses and wrongly released from prison before fleeing to London has been apprehended and taken into custody.
Hadush Kebatu, aged 38, was given a 12-month jail term a few weeks ago for assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Essex. Originally from Ethiopia, Kebatu was scheduled for deportation but was erroneously released from HMP Chelmsford on Friday, sparking an extensive manhunt in the southeast region. Kebatu committed the crimes while residing at the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex.
The 38-year-old was arrested today in the Finsbury Park vicinity at approximately 8:30 am, as confirmed by Scotland Yard. He was escorted by plain-clothed police officers near a bus stop in north London, donning a black puffa jacket and jeans. Subsequently, he was led to a police van, his head covered with a hood, while facing the ground.
Justice Secretary David Lammy stated that Kebatu would face deportation. “Kebatu has been apprehended, is presently in custody, and will be deported,” he declared. “I commend the swift and thorough efforts of the Metropolitan Police, Essex Police, and British Transport Police. Immediate enhancements in release verifications have been instructed, and a comprehensive inquiry into the lapse is underway.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also affirmed that Kebatu “will be deported” upon being returned to custody, emphasizing the necessity to prevent similar incidents in the future. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood echoed these sentiments, asserting that Kebatu would be deported at the earliest opportunity and expressing gratitude to the involved law enforcement agencies.
During the sentencing, the judge highlighted Kebatu’s substantial risk of reoffending and imposed a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) prohibiting contact with females.
The Metropolitan Police initially supported Essex Police in the search but assumed primary responsibility after indications suggested Kebatu was likely in London.
Justice Secretary David Lammy confirmed on Friday that Kebatu was “at large in London” after being spotted alighting from a train at Stratford in east London at around 1:10 pm on the same day.
Recently, CCTV footage released by the Metropolitan Police depicted Kebatu within a library. Additional officers were deployed to the area, with sightings of Kebatu in the Dalston region of Hackney and at a library in Dalston Square wearing a prison-issued grey tracksuit.
Metropolitan Police Commander James Conway, overseeing the search for Kebatu, praised the public’s assistance in swiftly locating and detaining him in Finsbury Park, emphasizing the collaborative efforts of the police forces involved.
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