Epping migrant sex offender urged by police to hand himself in after prison release error

A migrant convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl has been urged by a senior Metropolitan Police officer to hand himself in after he was released by mistake from HMP Chelmsford. Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu was jailed for 12 months in September and accidentally freed instead of being sent to an immigration detention centre.

He was wrongly marked down as a prisoner due to be released on licence and handed a £76 discharge grant. The Ethiopian national was last seen getting off a train at Stratford in east London at 1.12pm on Friday. Commander James Conway said Kebatu took "a number of journeys" across London since his release and pleaded with him to hand himself in. In a direct appeal to Kebatu, he said: "We want to locate you in a safe and controlled way.

"You had already indicated a desire to return to Ethiopia when speaking to immigration staff, the best outcome for you is to make contact directly with us by either calling 999 or reporting yourself to a police station."

Mr Conway said Kebatu has "access to funds" to help him with the journeys across London, and had been asking members of the public for help.

He said: "Mr Kebatu made his way to Chelmsford train station following his release from prison and boarded a train which departed at 12.42pm arriving in Stratford station at 1.12pm yesterday.

"Mr Kebatu was released wearing a prison issued grey tracksuit and holding a clear plastic bag containing his possessions. He has since made a number of train journeys across the London area.

"We believe he has access to funds, and critically, in both Chelmsford and London, we believe he has sought assistance from members of the public, and has spoken to station staff."

Mr Conway urged members of the public who have provided Kebatu with assistance to contact the Metropolitan Police, and anyone who sees him to call 999.

This comes after a delivery driver described seeing Kebatu return to HMP Chelmsford "four of five times" in a "very confused" state, but was turned away by prison staff and directed to the railway station.

The driver, named only as Sim, told Sky News that he saw Kebatu come out of the prison saying, "Where am I going? What am I doing?"

Kebatu knew he should be deported, Sim said, but prison staff were "basically sending him away" and saying to him, "Go, you've been released, you go".