Hadush Kebatu was involuntarily sent back to Ethiopia and received a £500 sum after making threats to disrupt his deportation process. The sex offender, who was mistakenly released from prison instead of being deported, was repatriated on Tuesday night and arrived in Ethiopia the following morning with no possibility of returning to the UK. The payment was reportedly a decision made by the removal team for operational reasons, without any input from government officials.
It is believed that the alternative to the payment would have been a lengthier and more costly procedure involving further detention and rescheduling his deportation, which could have led to legal complications. The expenses related to canceling Kebatu’s initial flight were estimated to be substantial. The 38-year-old had recently received a 12-month prison sentence for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Essex.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated that every available measure was utilized to facilitate Kebatu’s deportation, emphasizing the successful removal of the dangerous sex offender. Initially set for deportation, the Ethiopian national triggered an extensive search across the southeast after absconding to London from the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, where he had been staying.
After being arrested in the Finsbury Park area by plain-clothed officers on Sunday morning, Kebatu was seen being escorted by police officers near a bus stop. He was then led to a police van with his head covered by a hood. Kebatu, who entered the UK by crossing the Channel on a small boat, left prison with some personal funds but did not receive financial assistance for living expenses upon release.
A delivery driver reported witnessing Kebatu attempting to return to HMP Chelmsford multiple times in a confused state, only to be refused entry and redirected to the railway station by prison staff. An investigation is underway, and a prison officer has been relieved of their duties related to discharging prisoners.
