The trial of Hadush Kebatu, who faces allegations of sexual assault in Epping, is done for the day and will continue on 4 September for the judge's verdict.

Kebatu denies all five charges against him, including sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl, harassment and inciting a child into sexual activity.

Today, he spoke in court for the first time, where he said he's "not a wild animal" in reference to the crimes he's accused of committing. He called the allegations "simply fabrication" and says he's done "nothing wrong".

We also heard from witnesses of the alleged crimes today, who will remain anonymous.

A friend of the alleged teenage victim described the encounter with Hadush Kebatu as "weird" and told police the defendant repeatedly asked the girls for sex and kisses.

After, a woman who intervened during Kebatu’s alleged offending on 8 July alleged "Kebatu put his hand on [her] left thigh and [she] pushed his hand away". She told the court she saw him chatting to a girl in school uniform and later called the police.

That's the end of our live coverage for today, we'll be back next week to bring you the judge's verdict.

We've just been hearing from Hadush Kebatu, who is accused of sexual assaults in Epping.

It's the first time we've heard from the accused during the trial.

• Asked if he attempted to kiss one of the girls, he says: "I am not a wild animal. I can’t do these kind of things. "I am a Christian, it’s not in my culture as well."
• Kebatu says he "never" told the girls he wanted to have a baby with them, something the prosecution claimed yesterday
• He reiterates a point he made in his police interview, saying she "could be my daughter, she is very young".
• Kebatu tells the court he spent €1,800 (£1,552) to board a small boat from France to cross the English Channel and says it has been "years and years" since he has been in his home country of Ethiopia
• He calls the allegations against him "simply fabrication" and says he's done "nothing wrong"

District Judge Christopher Williams says the trial will continue at 14:00 BST on Thursday, 4 September.

The prosecution and defence will deliver their closing speeches on that day before he delivers a verdict, the judge tells Kebatu.

He rises and exits the courtroom for the day.

“She is the only instigator and she put them all into this," Kebatu says of the woman who called the police on 8 July.

A reminder that he is also accused of sexually assaulting her.

Ending his questioning, Mr Cowen says: "You are a sexual predator who tried to assault one girl and one woman in exactly the same way.

"That is the truth, isn't it?"

Kebatu responds: "I am not such a person. I can't do these kind of things."

With that, the questioning ends and he is taken back into the dock.

Stuart Cowen, prosecuting, is now quizzing Kebatu on why the children may have made the allegations up.

"There’s no reason for these young people to say these things about you," he says.

Kebatu replies: "This is simply fabrication, I have done nothing wrong. A lot of things have been said by the media as well."

Prosecutor Stuart Cowen is now on his feet and cross-examining Kebatu.

The defendant says it's been "years and years" since he's been in his home country of Ethiopia.

"Where did you come from and how did you get into the UK?," Mr Cowen asks.

Kebatu says he travelled through Ethiopia, Libya, Italy and France, where he paid about 1,800 euros (£1,551) to board a small boat and cross the English Channel.

Image source, Crown Prosecution Service/PA Wire

Continuing her questioning, defence barrister Molly Dyas asks Kebatu: "Had you done anything to the children?"

Kebatu answers: "I’m not a wild animal. These are children, the future of tomorrow, the new generation."

He clasps his hands together at one point and appears animated in the witness box, insisting: "I'm not a criminal."

Asked why he was saying sorry to officers who arrested him, he says: "I was concerned about any ramifications on any other immigrants."

Kebatu reiterates a point he made in his police interview, saying: "[The girl] could be my daughter, she is very young."

Kebatu’s barrister, Molly Dyas, asks him: "Did you touch any of the children on the 8th of July?"

He responds: "No, I did not touch them."

Kebatu also tells the court he was worried about his asylum claim, having recently arrived in England.

He is now being asked about the woman who claims he sexually assaulted her when she spoke to him.

"She said 'you are handsome, I want you to come to my house'," Kebatu tells the court.

"She was hot at the time and she said ‘if you don’t come to my house, you are speaking to students and I will call the police'."

Kebatu is then asked to clarify what he means by "hot", to which he responds: "She was angry."

He claims she also said: "You need to come to my house and have connection with me".

Kebatu begins by saying he was born in Ethiopia and had a job as a teacher there.

He cannot remember how long he had been at The Bell Hotel prior to his arrest, but says "about one week".

Recalling what he was doing on 7 July, he remembers seeing the group of children while "moving around" with a friend.

Asked if he attempted to kiss one of the girls, he says: "I am not a wild animal. I can’t do these kind of things.

"I am a Christian, it’s not in my culture as well."

Asked if he told the girls he wanted to have a baby with them, he says "never".

Wearing a grey sweater and tracksuit bottoms, Kebatu has entered the witness box to give evidence in his defence.

It is the first time we've been able to hear his account of what he says happened on 7 and 8 July.

WIth a security guard and interpreter by his side, he takes the oath and is now listening to instructions given to him by the judge.

The compilation of CCTV footage being played to the judge has now finished.

Prosecutor Stuart Cowen is back on his feet to close the prosecution case.

He says due to Kebatu being an asylum seeker, the UK authorities cannot be sure he has no previous convictions.

"He travelled through European countries, spending time in Italy and France before arriving in the UK," Cowen says.

He references a statement prepared by Kebatu at his first police interview, saying he "denies all the allegations" and is a "man of good character who would not commit such an offence".

Of the alleged victim, Kebatu reportedly said: "She is young enough to be my child."

He is also said to have told police he was a sports teacher in Ethiopia.

With that, the prosecution closes its case.

The last witness for today has just given evidence in the case of Hadush Kebatu, who is accused of sexual assaults in Epping.

As a reminder, Kebatu denies all five charges against him, including sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl, harassment and inciting a child into sexual activity.

The witness was a woman who intervened during Kebatu's alleged offending, his second encounter with the girl and her friends. She told the court:

• During a conversation about helping Kebatu with his CV, the woman alleges he "put his hand on my left thigh and [she] pushed his hand away". She says it made her "shocked, uncomfortable"
• The woman says she noticed Kebatu chatting to a girl in school uniform, before shouting at him. Kebatu tried telling the woman she was wrong before saying "sorry, sorry, I'm going to go - it was a mistake"
• She then called the police, telling them she "saw him talking to minors"
• Questioned by the defence about whether she was drunk and if she was angry about asylum seekers, she says she had drunk a "cup of rosé" and that she was "angry he had touched a 14-year-old girl"

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Colchester Magistrates' Court

Hadush Kebatu has continued to remain emotionless in his demeanour throughout the day.

He is sitting to my right, held securely inside a dock with large glass panels.

The court is totally silent as the CCTV, which has no audio, is played on two TV screens mounted on separate walls.

I understand this is the final element of the prosecution's case before we move on to the defence.

Image source, Matt Knight/BBC

A lengthy compilation of CCTV footage from 7 July is now being played to the court.

It shows the High Street and High Road area of Epping, where Kebatu's alleged offending took place.

Zoie O'Brien
Reporting from court

Hadush Kebatu is often being referred to in court as ‘Thomas’.

Both the alleged victims and witnesses say this is the name he gave them when they spoke.

During a 999 call played to the court today, a witness said he had given her the name Thomas but she did not believe him.

Kebatu, who is from Ethiopia, claimed to be from Kenya and from Ghana, the court was told.

Dyas is continuing her cross-examination of the witness on behalf of the defence.

"The truth is Thomas didn’t touch [one of the girls] at all, did he?" she says.

"You’ve just assumed what was going on with the children haven’t you?

"Because the reality is he wasn’t sat on that bench with [the girl] at all on the 8th of July, was he?

"In fact, you’ve got the wrong idea about what was going on."

The woman has the chance to answer each point, saying she disagrees with the barrister and insists she is telling the truth.

Dyas asks: "Were you angry about asylum seekers in this country?"

The woman responds: "I was angry that he had touched a 14-year-old girl."

With that, the woman finishes giving her evidence.

The witness, who we cannot name, is now being questioned by defence barrister Molly Dyas.

Dyas is focusing on how much alcohol the woman drank on 8 July, which the latter claims was "a cup" of rose wine.

"Are you underplaying how drunk you were that afternoon?," Dyas asks her.

"Because the reality is you were very drunk by the time you were talking to Thomas and the children."

A reminder that Thomas is a false name Kebatu allegedly gave to the woman and the children.

During the phone call with the police, the woman can be heard shouting "get away from them kids" at a man.

"You wanna live at The Bell Hotel and talk to minors?", she shouts, telling him the police are on their way.

The call handler urges her to "walk away from him" as the woman's screams grow louder.

Moments later, police sirens can be heard and the phone call ends.

The phone call made by the woman to the police on 8 July is now being played to the court.

She tells the call handler she is calling about "a very strange man" who was "very weird to me, very touchy feely".

"I saw him talking to minors. When I confronted him he ran off. He lives in The Bell Hotel, Epping.

"I think it’s disgusting, harassing 14 year olds. He’s done a runner to the hotel where he lives."

The witness adds: "He came here on a boat and he’s living in a hotel."

Continuing her evidence over a live video link, the woman recalls noticing the girl was in school uniform.

She tells the court she confronted Kebatu - who allegedly told her he was called Thomas - and he accused the girl of flirting with him.

The witness said she was "disgusted and angry" but also felt "stupid as I had just been previously speaking to him".

She spoke to the girl before shouting at the man.

"He tried telling me I was wrong and it was a mistake, but I just continued to shout to make a scene," the witness says, before adding Kebatu then ran away and she called the police.

The woman then says Kebatu told her "sorry, sorry, I'm going to go - it was a mistake."