Epping Sex Attack Migrant Is Arrested in North London After His Accidental Release Sparked Three Day Hunt

A sex attack migrant who was accidentally freed from prison has been arrested following a three-day manhunt thanks to a tip-off from a member of the public, the Metropolitan Police has confirmed.

Hadush Kebatu was pictured being detained by four officers inside Finsbury Park, north London, at around 8.30am on Sunday, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer vowing he ‘will be deported’.

The 38-year-old Ethiopian was set free from HMP Chelmsford in error on Friday just four weeks after being sentenced for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping, Essex, while being housed at an asylum seeker hotel.

Kebatu, whose offences sparked protests outside The Bell Hotel in Epping and around the country, was awaiting transfer to an immigration detention centre ahead of his planned deportation, but bungling prison staff freed him instead.

The convicted sex offender was filmed in Chelmsford speaking to members of the public 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 today that he was finally caught in Finsbury Park on Sunday morning, three days after being mistakenly freed. He will now be taken back to prison.

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.

Commander James Conway, who has overseen the operation to find Kebatu, said: ‘This has been a diligent and fast paced investigation led by specialist officers from the Metropolitan Police, supported by Essex Police and the British Transport Police.

‘Information from the public led officers to Finsbury Park and following a search, they located Mr Kebatu. He was detained by police, but will be returned to the custody of the Prison Service.

‘I am extremely grateful to the public for their support following our appeal, which assisted in locating Mr Kebatu.’

The Met confirmed a member of the public saw someone matching Kebatu’s appearance at a bus stop near Finsbury Park Station at 8.03am. The force deployed officers and found Kebatu inside the park, close to the entrance opposite Finsbury Park Road, at 8.19am.

He was then arrested for being unlawfully at large.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said today: ‘Hadush Kebatu has been arrested and will be deported. Officers have worked quickly and diligently to bring him back into custody. We have ordered an investigation to establish what went wrong. We must make sure this doesn’t happen again.’

His deputy, David Lammy, has ordered the ‘immediate strengthening of release checks and a full investigation into what went wrong’.

Kebatu was seen strolling around a library on Dalston on Friday evening and was later seen ‘trying to get a free night’s stay at the nearby Premier Inn.

Confirmation of the arrest came shortly after Wes Streeting had begged for the public’s help in finding the wrongly released sex attacker.

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