Defence barrister Molly Dyas is now delivering mitigation on Kebatu's behalf.

"Mr Kebatu has no previous convictions, including the European countries he travelled through to get to the UK," she says.

Dyas says the defendant faced a "difficult and lengthy journey" from East Africa, including the use of a small boat to get into the UK.

"Mr Kebatu's firm wish is to be deported as soon as possible," she continues, adding he is suffering with his mental health.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Magistrates' Court

Image source, PA Media

The adult victim references the demonstrations held outside The Bell Hotel since Kebatu's arrest.

"This is something I don't want to be involved in and it scares me," she says in her statement.

Talking about Kebatu, she adds: "This incident has left me really angry as I do not stand for this behaviour, it makes me really angry.

"I want him to feel guilty for what he put us through.

"How would he feel if this was his mother, his daughter, his wife?"

We're now hearing a statement read on behalf of the adult victim.

She was trying to help Kebatu with his CV when he sexually assaulted her by touching her leg.

"Since the incident I've felt both angered and frustrated," she says.

"I wonder why he felt he could do that to me, because I would not do that to anyone else."

The victim called the police after she was touched by Kebatu and when she saw him talking to the 14-year-old and her friends.

"I am angry because he didn't appear to know what he'd done was wrong," she continues.

The prosecutor goes on to read out a statement from the 14-year-old victim.

"Every time I go out with my friends I am checking over my shoulder," she begins.

"If I do go out, I go home to change what I'm wearing so it's not school uniform.

"My school skirt now makes me feel exposed."

Cowen commends her brief statement, saying it was "non-sensational" and that she was not "over-egging it".

Prosecutor Stuart Cowen is on his feet and is outlining the facts of the case.

He begins by reading out a pre-sentence report written about Kebatu.

Cowen says the defendant tells the report author "he feels very sad and has a lot of remorse".

However, he adds: "There was also comments made by Mr Kebatu where he states that he didn't know how strict the UK was."

Cowen also says Kebatu showed awareness of the affect of his offending.

"He says because of the situation, Epping was in chaos and he'd got a lot of other migrants in trouble," he adds.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Magistrates' Court

Kebatu looked tense as he entered the dock.

His shoulders were raised and his eyes darted around the courtroom.

Having taken his seat, he began leaning on his right hand and swaying.

Hadush Kebatu has been brought into the dock here in Court 1.

Wearing a grey sweater and jogger bottoms, he takes his seat next to a security guard behind the tall glass panels.

A Tigrinya interpreter is sitting on the other side of Kebatu so she can translate the proceedings for him.

District Judge Christopher Williams has taken his seat and the sentencing is beginning.

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Magistrates' Court

You would be hard pressed to find many people outside of Epping who had heard of The Bell Hotel before the summer.

But the arrest of Hadush Kebatu propelled it to the top of the national news agenda.

Thousands of people have attended demonstrations outside the building since July - and that only began to slow down in September.

Now, a legal challenge to stop the hotel housing asylum seekers will be heard at the High Court on 15 October.

Proceedings are running a little behind here at the moment - we were expecting a 10:00 BST start.

The court clerk has just confirmed that Kebatu arrived in the building a short while ago.

We've got reporters in the courtroom ready to bring you the latest when it gets going, so stick with us.

Hadush Kebatu is due to be sentenced in the next moments after he was found guilty of five charges, including sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman.

On 8 July, Kebatu was seen telling the teenage girl she was pretty and attempting to kiss her on a bench, before placing his hand on her thigh.

He was stopped from talking to the group by a woman who intervened, she engaged him in a conversation about his CV.

The woman told the court she felt "shocked, uncomfortable" when Kebatu then put his hand on her thigh. She called the police.

Her 999 call was played to the court, in which she could be heard screaming: "Get away from them kids."

Lewis Adams
Reporting from Chelmsford Magistrates' Court

At times during his trial, Hadush Kebatu appeared agitated inside the dock.

He shook his head when certain pieces of evidence were read to the court and leaned on his hand when lengthy police interviews were played.

Other periods he spent watching on intently from inside the secure glass dock.

Journalists from the nation's press all packed out Chelmsford Magistrates' Court as the defendant was found guilty on 4 September.

Many have returned today to hear Kebatu's fate.

Image source, EPA

Hadush Kebatu is from Ethiopia and was staying at The Bell Hotel in Epping as an asylum seeker at the time of the offences.

His arrest - coupled with a public unease over the use of hotels to house asylum seekers - prompted protests and counter-protests outside the hotel, attracting national media attention. That was acknowledged by both the judge and the prosecutor during his trial.

With the protests turning violent at points, Essex Police said officers were assaulted and vehicles damaged. Arrests were subsequently made for offences including criminal damage and violent disorder.

Other protests also took place at hotels in other parts of the country.

The Bell subsequently found itself at the heart of a legal battle when Epping Forest District Council obtained a temporary injunction preventing the use of the hotel to house asylum seekers. The council claimed the Bell owner, Somani Hotels, breached planning rules by turning the site into asylum accommodation.

The protests had acted as a trigger for the council to apply for an injunction, its legal team said in court.

This temporary injunction was later overturned by the Court of Appeal - meaning the asylum seekers residing there could stay at least until the full High Court hearing to decide on a permanent injunction.

On 4 September, Kebatu was convicted of all the offences he had been charged with.

Issuing the verdict at the time, District Judge Christopher Williams told the court the evidence given by the 14-year-old girl and the adult woman who alleged sexual assault was "consistent".

Meanwhile, he found Kebatu had created "a version of events he'd only decided upon when he took the witness stand".

The judge adjourned the sentencing until today so a pre-sentence report could be prepared in order to help him assess the risk of harm posed by the defendant - explaining: "There is so little known about you [Kebatu] and your circumstances".

However, he did warn Kebatu to expect an "immediate custodial sentence".

"It is just a question of how long," he added.

Image source, Julia Quenzler

On 4 September 2025, Hadush Kebatu, an asylum seeker who was staying at the Bell Hotel in Epping, was found guilty of all five offences he faced, including sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.

What was he found guilty of?

• Sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl
• Sexual assault of a woman
• Attempted sexual assault of the girl
• Inciting the girl to engage in sexual activity
• Harassment of the girl without violence

What did the judge say?

District Judge Christopher Williams said Kebatu created “a version of events he'd only decided upon when he took the witness stand”.

On why Kebatu gave a no comment police interview, the judge said: "[Kebatu] simply had no answer at the time or one that would stand up to scrutiny."

As a reminder, Hadush Kebatu, from Ethiopia, touched a 14-year-old-girl and said he "wanted to have a baby" with her, during incidents in Epping, Essex, on 7 and 8 July.

Kebatu attempted to kiss the girl and placed his hand on her thigh, as well as asking her to kiss another child in front of him, the court heard.

When a woman intervened he also placed his hand on her thigh, which she said made her feel "shocked, uncomfortable", before she called the police.

During the trial, one witness told the court he heard Kebatu telling the girls "come back to Africa, you would be a good wife", on 7 July.

They had been eating pizza in Epping town centre when they were propositioned by the defendant, who invited them back to The Bell Hotel.

"Out of nowhere, he said: 'I want one baby from you and one baby from your friend'," the girl told police.

You can read more on the evidence against Kebatu here.

The arrest took place on 7 July - eight days after the 41-year-old arrived in the UK via a boat.

The allegations led to two MPs - Neil Hudson, Conservative MP for Epping Forest and Alex Burghart, Conservative MP for Brentwood and Ongar - as well as the leader of Epping Forest District Council, to call for a hotel housing asylum seekers in the town to be closed.

Hadush Kebatu is due to be sentenced today after being found guilty of a number of offences, including the sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl.

A judge found earlier this month that he had touched the girl and told her he "wanted to have a baby with her" during incidents in Epping, Essex, on 7 and 8 July this year.

Kebatu was also convicted of harassing the girl, inciting her to engage in sexual activity - and an attempted sexual assault.

During his trial, the defendant told the court he was "not a wild animal", but the judge said he created "a version of events he'd only decided upon when he took the witness stand".

As an asylum seeker from Ethiopia, Kebatu's case has sparked a much wider conversation after protesters and counter-protesters gathered in number outside the hotel where he had been staying.

We'll be following the sentencing remarks as they are delivered in court - but first we'll catch you up on the details of the case.