Migrant sex offender given £500 after threat to disrupt deportation

A convicted sex offender from Ethiopia who was mistakenly released from prison was paid £500 by UK authorities after threatening to disrupt his deportation flight.

Hadush Kebatu, who sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl and a woman while living in an asylum hotel in Epping, Essex, was accidentally freed from HMP Chelmsford last Friday due to what officials later called “human error.” He was re-arrested two days later in north London and deported to Ethiopia on Tuesday night.

The Home Office confirmed Kebatu was “forcibly deported” and accompanied by five escorts on the flight.

Downing Street said the payment was made by the removal team as a “discretionary decision” to avoid a more costly and time-consuming process after Kebatu threatened to disrupt the flight. Officials feared the delay could have cost taxpayers thousands in rebooking and legal fees.

Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman said the £500 payout was an “alternative to a slower, more expensive process,” adding that Kebatu’s application for the £1,500 normally offered under the Facilitated Returns Scheme had been denied because ministers wanted him removed immediately.

Ethiopian police confirmed Kebatu landed in Addis Ababa early Wednesday and was briefly detained before being released. “There was no legal basis for his continued detention,” said Jaylan Abde, a spokesman for the Ethiopian Federal Police.

Political Outrage

The payment has sparked widespread political backlash.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called it “an outrageous waste of taxpayers’ money,” saying Kebatu “should have been deported immediately, not released and sent home with pocket money.”

The Liberal Democrats said people were “rightly angry” after the mistake, while Reform UK described the payment as “an insult of the highest order.”

Government Response

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood confirmed Kebatu’s deportation and said the government was “pulling every lever” to ensure such an error does not happen again.

“Last week’s blunder should never have happened,” she said. “I share the public’s anger that it did. I am pleased to confirm this vile child sex offender has been deported. Our streets are safer because of it.”

Justice Secretary David Lammy said the release appeared to be the result of human error, and an independent inquiry has been launched to determine how it occurred.

Former Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Dame Lynne Owens will lead the investigation, which will examine whether staff at HMP Chelmsford had proper training and procedures in place.

A prison officer has been suspended, and all removals from Chelmsford under the Early Removals Scheme have been paused pending review.

Community Reaction

Kebatu’s initial release had caused outrage in Epping, where he committed his crimes. Local MP Neil Hudson said residents were “relieved” he had finally been deported but called on the government to “get a grip” on the system.

“No one wants to see our hometown as the lead story on the news,” Hudson said. “This is incredibly frustrating — the government must ensure this never happens again.”

Kebatu, who crossed the Channel by small boat on June 29 after travelling through Sudan, Libya, Italy, and France, was convicted in July and sentenced to 12 months in custody. Under the UK Borders Act 2007, any foreign national sentenced to a year or more in prison must be deported.

During his trial, the court heard it was Kebatu’s “firm wish” to be returned to Ethiopia.