In a surprising twist, Hadush Kebatu, a migrant sex offender from Epping, claims he attempted to surrender to authorities, only to be disregarded by police. Kebatu reportedly informed officers that he was a “wanted man” ready to turn himself in, but his plea was allegedly ignored.
Kebatu was mistakenly released from HMP Chelmsford on Friday, despite being sentenced for the sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Essex. At the time of his release, he was supposed to be transferred to an immigration detention facility to await deportation to Ethiopia.
This error in his release has drawn significant attention, especially as Kebatu, now 38, maintains that he proactively tried to rectify the situation by attempting to return to custody—a claim that law enforcement officials contest.
In an exclusive interview with Sky News, Kebatu recounted his efforts, saying, “On Saturday, I approached the police. I told them I am a wanted man and asked to be arrested, even offering myself willingly.”
He further described the encounter, stating, “I pleaded for help, asking where the police station was, but the officer ignored me and drove away.”
‘Please, help me, where is police station (sic). He ignored me, he drive (sic).’
Kebatu claimed to have approached officers and explained he had been mistakenly released, saying he told them: ‘You know me, my image. I am Hadush Kebatu – I am a national of Ethiopia – please, I was the mistake release, please help me (sic).’
The Metropolitan Police dispute Kebatu’s claims, saying there was ‘no evidence’ that he approached officers on Saturday morning.
In a statement, the force said: ‘Kebatu’s actions on the morning of his arrest were more like those of someone trying to avoid officers, not trying to hand himself in.’
Yesterday, it emerged Kebatu was paid £500 to speed up his deportation back to Ethiopia after he threatened to disrupt the flight.
Kebatu claimed to have approached officers and explained he had been mistakenly released
This is the moment Kebatu (second from left) was arrested by Met Police officers in Finsbury Park, north London
The debacle has left Labour facing fresh questions about its handling of the migrant crisis.
Kebatu was handed a ‘discretionary’ payment of £500 by Home Office officials because of his threats to ‘disrupt’ the removals flight, sources said.
It is understood that even though his original trial heard it was his ‘firm wish’ to return to Ethiopia, his compliance with immigration officials deteriorated yesterday.
He threatened to launch a legal challenge against his removal and even said he was considering lodging a new asylum claim with the Home Office.
After indicating he would go quietly in exchange for the cash, Kebatu was forcibly deported from Britain by a team of five security escorts.
Speaking on Thursday, Policing Minister Sarah Jones said giving cash to people to get them out of the country was not ‘a new thing’.
It would have cost thousands of pounds to rebook flights and have him escorted again by five people, she told LBC.
‘So the choice was £500 versus £10,000 and I think in terms of use of taxpayers’ money, that was the right decision to make,’ she said.
She could not say why Kebatu needed five escorts.
‘He’s obviously a nasty criminal. We wanted out of the country, and we wanted to make sure he left,’ she said.
She later added: ‘I think there has always been a system where some payments are sometimes made in order to get people on the planes and get them out of the country. I don’t think that is a new thing.’
Justice Secretary David Lammy has since launched an independent investigation into the incident, but put ‘human error’ at the heart of the blunder.
Ms Jones said she expected the inquiry would report back ‘within a few months max’.
Kebatu was arrested by Met Police officers in the Finsbury Park area of London at around 8.30am
A CCTV image issued by the Metropolitan Police (pictured) shows Hadush Kebatu in Dalston, London, on Friday night
Kebatu should have been transferred to a deportation centre last week, but clueless prison officers repeatedly told him to leave and get on a train to London instead.
His wrongful release sparked a nationwide manhunt until he was finally caught after three days on the run.
He was filmed speaking to members of the public in Chelmsford town centre on the day of his release, before boarding a 12.41pm train to Stratford, east London.
CCTV showed Kebatu in the Dalston area of Hackney just before 8pm on Friday.
He was also picked up at a library in Dalston Square around two hours earlier, wearing a prison grey tracksuit while clutching a white tote bag with avocados on it.
His movements on Saturday are unclear but the Met Police confirmed he was finally caught in Finsbury Park on Sunday morning.
In a picture of his arrest, Kebatu – who had access to funds – was seen wearing jeans, a puffer jacket and a hood over his head, having managed to change out of his prison tracksuit. Footage showed him being bundled into the back of a police van.
It comes amid a backlash against efforts to tackle illegal migration after a man who was deported under the ‘one in, one out’ scheme with France reappeared on UK shores having crossed the Channel again in a small boat.
Conservative MP for Epping Forest, Neil Hudson, called Kebatu’s release a ‘catastrophic mistake’ which had ‘deeply distressed, upset and angered’ the whole community, adding that ‘accountability must go right to the top’.
