Sentence of 12 months for Kebatu

AN asylum seeker living at a hotel in Essex who sparked nationwide protests after sexually assaulting a woman and a 14-year-old girl faces deportation, after being jailed for 12 months.

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Ethiopian national Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, who arrived in the UK on a small boat a few days before the incidents in Epping, was found guilty of five offences yesterday, following a three-day trial at Chelmsford and Colchester magistrates' courts.

A judge told the 38-year-old his behaviour "really highlights the poor regard you must have for women", adding Kebatu was "feeling sorry for yourself, knowing you were well and truly caught".

Yesterday's sentencing hearing at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court was told Kebatu wants to be deported, after serving his time in prison, with his defence lawyer, Molly Dyas, adding it is a view he held "before the trial".