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The Chelmsford Blunder

How a Convicted Sex Offender Was Released in an 'Egregious Failure' of the Justice System

Sunday, 26 October 2025 16:45

Abstract

The erroneous release of Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, an Ethiopian national convicted of sexual assault, from HMP Chelmsford triggered a two-day national manhunt and exposed a critical failure in the prison and probation service's release protocols. The incident, which occurred despite the man's imminent deportation order, has prompted a high-level government investigation and renewed scrutiny of the UK's asylum and penal systems.

The Conviction and the Deportation Order

Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, an Ethiopian national, arrived in the United Kingdom via a small boat in June 2025 and was subsequently housed at the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, as an asylum seeker9,10. Just days after his arrival, he committed a series of sexual offences in the local area4,9. The offences, which took place in July, included sexually assaulting a woman and a 14-year-old girl3,4. Kebatu was found guilty of five offences following a three-day trial at Chelmsford and Colchester magistrates' courts in September6,10. The charges included two counts of sexual assault, attempted sexual assault, inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, and harassment without violence4. During the trial, the court heard that Kebatu had made inappropriate comments to the teenage girl, attempted to kiss her, and later sexually assaulted a woman who tried to intervene, putting his hand on her leg and attempting to kiss her6,10. District Judge Christopher Williams sentenced Kebatu to 12 months in prison, noting that he posed a “significant risk of reoffending” and had acted “ignorantly and repulsively”3,4. The judge also imposed a five-year sexual harm prevention order and ordered him to sign the Sex Offenders Register for ten years5. Having received a custodial sentence of at least 12 months, the foreign national offender was subject to a mandatory deportation order under the UK Borders Act 20075,10. The court was informed that it was Kebatu’s “firm wish” to be deported5,10.

The Procedural Failure at HMP Chelmsford

The critical failure occurred on a Friday in late October 2025 at His Majesty’s Prison (HMP) Chelmsford, where Kebatu had served only 31 days of his sentence3. Instead of being transferred to an immigration detention centre for immediate deportation, the 38-year-old was mistakenly released from the prison5,7,9. Reports indicated that he was wrongly categorised as a prisoner due to be released on licence, a procedural error that allowed him to walk free8,9. A witness, a delivery driver named Sim, described seeing Kebatu return to the prison reception in a “very confused” state “four or five times” over a 90-minute period3,7,11. The witness claimed that prison staff repeatedly turned him away, directing him toward the railway station3,11. Kebatu reportedly left the prison with a small amount of personal money, though a Ministry of Justice spokeswoman later clarified he was not given the standard discharge grant, which is not provided to inmates due for deportation11. The Prison Service was alerted to the erroneous release on Friday afternoon, but Kebatu had already boarded a train at Chelmsford railway station at 12:41 pm, heading for London5,7.

The Manhunt and Recapture

The mistaken release of a convicted sex offender who was due for deportation immediately triggered a high-priority manhunt5,12. Responsibility for the operation was handed to the Metropolitan Police, with support from Essex Police and the British Transport Police3,6. Authorities released CCTV images of Kebatu, who was initially seen wearing a prison-issue grey tracksuit and carrying a white bag with avocado pictures3,5. He was tracked taking a train from Chelmsford to Stratford in east London, arriving at 1:10 pm on the day of his release, and was later spotted in the Dalston area of Hackney3,7. The police made a direct appeal to the public for information and to Kebatu himself to surrender safely11. The two-day search concluded on the following Sunday morning when Kebatu was arrested in the Finsbury Park area of north London at approximately 8:30 am3,5,6. The arrest followed a tip-off from a member of the public who had spotted a man matching his description near Finsbury Park station5,6. Metropolitan Police Commander James Conway praised the “diligent and fast-paced investigation” and thanked the public for their assistance3,6. Kebatu was detained on suspicion of being unlawfully at large and was to be returned to the custody of the Prison Service5,6.

Political Fallout and Systemic Failures

The incident was immediately condemned by senior government figures, who described the mistake as an “egregious failure”6,9. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the mistaken release “totally unacceptable” and ordered an investigation to establish what went wrong3,5,12. Justice Secretary David Lammy expressed that he was “livid and appalled” by the blunder and ordered the immediate strengthening of release checks across the prison estate3,6,12. The Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, confirmed that Kebatu would be deported “as quickly as possible”3. The Prison Service launched its own investigation, and a prison officer was suspended from discharging duties pending the outcome5,9,12. The Criminal Justice Workers’ Union (CJWU) general secretary, Mike Rolfe, suggested the failure was symptomatic of a justice system “stretched to breaking point”3. The father of the teenage victim stated that the justice system had “let us down”3,12. The case also drew attention to the broader issue of erroneous releases within the prison system7. Official figures from His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) showed that 262 prisoners in England and Wales were released in error between April 2024 and March 20257. This figure represented a 128 per cent increase from the 115 erroneous releases recorded in the previous 12 months, marking the highest number in the time series7.

Conclusion

The re-arrest of Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu brought a swift end to a two-day period of public anxiety, but the underlying systemic failures remain a profound concern5,6. The erroneous release of a convicted sex offender who was due for deportation, compounded by reports that he attempted to return to the prison, highlights a critical breakdown in communication and procedure at HMP Chelmsford7,11. Beyond the immediate political fallout and the promise of an investigation, the incident has underscored the increasing strain on the UK’s prison system, which has seen a significant rise in the number of prisoners released by mistake7,9. The government now faces the challenge of restoring public confidence in the integrity of the penal and immigration systems while ensuring that the promised strengthening of release checks is robust enough to prevent a recurrence of such a serious and embarrassing failure3,6,12.

References

  1. Current time information in Essex, GB.

    Used to verify the current date and time for the 'Today's Date' field.

  2. Current time information in London, GB.

    Used to verify the current date and time for the 'Today's Date' field.

  3. Epping sex offender back in custody after being released from prison in error - The Guardian

    Supports details on Kebatu's nationality, conviction, sentence, the erroneous release, the confused state upon release, the manhunt, the re-arrest location and time, and the political reaction from Starmer, Lammy, and Mahmood.

  4. Manhunt for Epping hotel asylum seeker, jailed for sexually assaulting girl, after accidental release - Sky News

    Provides details on the specific five offences, the judge's comments on the risk of reoffending, the date of the offences (July), and the initial location (Bell Hotel in Epping).

  5. Migrant sex offender arrested after being released from prison in error

    Confirms the re-arrest time and location (Finsbury Park, 8:30 am Sunday), the two-day duration of the manhunt, the sentence details (12 months, five-year SHPO, 10-year Sex Offenders Register), the reason for the release error (due for deportation), and the political response from Starmer and Streeting.

  6. 'Egregious failure': Why a migrant sex offender facing deportation was released from an English prison - The Times of India

    Provides the 'egregious failure' quote, details on the five offences, the re-arrest time and location, the police commander's statement, and the fact that he was due for deportation.

  7. Asylum seeker released from prison in error seen in London area, police say | The Standard

    Cites the number of erroneous releases (262) in the last year and the percentage increase (128%), the time he caught the train (12:41 pm Friday), the arrival time at Stratford (1:10 pm), and the witness account of him returning to the prison confused.

  8. Police release CCTV images of wanted migrant sex offender released in error | ITV News

    Confirms the wrong categorisation as a prisoner due to be released on licence and the initial report of a discharge grant.

  9. London police arrest a sex offender and asylum-seeker mistakenly released from prison

    Verifies the asylum seeker status, the arrival by small boat, the location of the offences (Epping), the wrong categorisation, the launch of the investigation, and the suspension of a prison officer.

  10. UK police arrest wrongly-released asylum seeker jailed for sex assault - Deccan Herald

    Confirms the 12-month sentence, the deportation intention, the UK Borders Act 2007 requirement, and the 'firm wish' to be deported.

  11. Asylum seeker released by mistake tried to return to prison 'several times'

    Provides the detailed witness account of Kebatu returning to the prison confused, the clarification that he was not given a discharge grant, and the police appeal for him to hand himself in.

  12. Deputy PM announces investigation into release of Epping asylum seeker sex offender

    Confirms Justice Secretary David Lammy's 'livid and appalled' reaction, the order for an investigation, and the Prime Minister's 'totally unacceptable' comment.