Hadush Kebatu, a convicted sex offender, was forcibly repatriated to Ethiopia and received a payment of £500 after making threats to disrupt his deportation process.
Following an accidental release from prison instead of deportation, Kebatu was flown back to Ethiopia on Tuesday night and arrived the next morning without the possibility of returning to the UK. The £500 payment was reportedly a decision made by the removal team to avoid a lengthier and more costly process of further detention and rescheduling a flight, which could have led to legal complications.
It is estimated that canceling Kebatu’s flight would have incurred significant expenses. The 38-year-old, who had been released in error from HMP Chelmsford, had recently served a 12-month jail sentence for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Essex.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood expressed satisfaction at Kebatu’s deportation, stating that every effort was made to ensure his removal. Mahmood emphasized the importance of safeguarding the community from individuals like Kebatu.
Initially facing deportation, Kebatu evaded authorities and triggered a widespread manhunt in the southeast after absconding to London from the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, where he had been staying.
Kebatu was apprehended in the Finsbury Park area early one Sunday morning by plain-clothed officers. He was seen being escorted by police officers to a waiting van, appearing disoriented with his head covered. Despite having some personal funds upon release from prison, Kebatu did not receive a discharge grant for living expenses.
An eyewitness reported seeing Kebatu attempting to return to HMP Chelmsford multiple times in a confused state but being turned away by prison staff. As a precautionary measure, a prison officer has been relieved of duties related to prisoner discharge pending an investigation.