Hadush Kebatu was repatriated to Ethiopia and received a £500 payment after he made threats during his deportation process, sources indicate. The convicted sex offender, mistakenly released from prison instead of being deported, was flown back to his home country on Tuesday night and landed on Wednesday without the right to re-enter the UK. The payment was reportedly a decision by the removal team for operational reasons, without ministerial involvement.
It is believed that the alternative of detaining Kebatu further and rescheduling his flight would have been a slower and more costly process, potentially leading to legal challenges. The expenses of canceling Kebatu’s flight were estimated to be substantial. The 38-year-old, released in error from HMP Chelmsford, had recently served a 12-month sentence for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Essex.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated that all necessary measures were taken to deport Kebatu, emphasizing the importance of removing such a dangerous individual from the streets. The Ethiopian national had triggered a significant search operation across the southeast after fleeing to London. Kebatu had been staying at the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, at the time of his crimes.
On Sunday morning, the sex offender was apprehended in Finsbury Park, London, by plain-clothed police officers. He was seen being escorted by officers near a bus stop, wearing a black jacket and jeans with a hood covering his head. Kebatu, who entered the UK by crossing the Channel in a small boat, had left prison with personal funds but did not receive a discharge grant for living expenses.
A delivery driver reported witnessing Kebatu returning multiple times to HMP Chelmsford in a confused state, only to be denied entry and directed to the train station by prison staff. An investigation is underway, leading to a prison officer being relieved of duties related to prisoner releases.
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