Asylum seeker jailed over sexual assaults that sparked UK protests

An Ethiopian asylum seeker was jailed for a year on Tuesday for sexually assaulting a teenage girl and a woman, in a case that ignited weeks of UK protests.

District Judge Christopher Williams told Hadush Kebatu that “it’s evident to me that your shame and remorse isn’t because of the offences you’ve committed but because of the impact they’ve had,” as he passed sentence.

Williams found Kebatu guilty of five offences, including two of sexual assault, following a three-day trial that ended on September 4.

Police had arrested him on July 8 in Epping, northeast of London, after he repeatedly tried to kiss a 14-year-old girl and touch her legs, and made sexually explicit comments to her.

He also sexually assaulted an adult woman, placing a hand on her thigh, when she intervened to stop his interactions with the girl.

Kebatu was staying at the Bell Hotel in Epping, which became the scene of anti-asylum hotel protests that swiftly spread to other towns.