An asylum seeker jailed for sexually assaulting a schoolgirl is being held under protective measures at a Category B prison where inmates can learn to be barbers or baristas.
Hadush Kebatu is having contact with other inmates at HMP Chelmsford in Essex limited for his own protection. The Ethiopian, whose arrest sparked protests outside the Bell Hotel in Epping and others nationally, is also listed as being an escape risk from the jail, which previously held disgraced reality star Stephen Bear.
Kebatu, 41, has been placed on a standard regime at the jail which means he is allowed a Freeview TV, access to books and gym visits, and is given around £20 per week in the prison shop.
Inmates fill in canteen sheets and can order treats including cheese puffs, Oreo cookies and Kinder chocolate, plus toiletries, greetings cards, batteries, vapes and phone credit.
Prison Regime and Facilities
Courses on offer for inmates include hairdressing, art, information technology and cookery, whilst charity Combat 2 Coffee runs barista training at the jail.
A source said: “Kebatu is being protected and treated with kid gloves, and his life in prison will be almost as comfortable as it was at the hotel he has come from.”
“He is in somewhere which is pretty cushy compared to a lot of the tougher prisons in Britain which are hell-holes. And he is pretty much on a no-mixing regime, which means he is being kept away from other inmates, mainly for his own safety.”
The source added: “His case was so high-profile it has made him a target, especially as a new arrival in jail. He is not on full segregation but they are being very careful with him.”
“But he will ultimately be able to fully mix and will be put with others who don’t think his crimes are that serious. Kebatu is also seen as someone who could try to escape, and this is because of something in his past, like trying to flee from police or the fact he came into the UK illegally.
Escape Risk Classification
The source continued: “He is flagged as a risk although he has not tried to escape from the jail. But, whilst he is in Chelmsford, he will be pretty comfortable.”
“He is already on a standard regime, which is the second highest, and he can lounge around watching TV and ordering treats from the canteen which will be delivered to his cell by officers.”
“It is pretty shocking he is in the same jail as Stephen Bear was held in. It shows they have put him on easy street in prison terms.”
Previous High-Profile Inmates
Celebrity Big Brother star Bear, 35, jailed for selling a sex tape of his Love Island ex Georgia Harrison, earned money at Chelmsford by packing tea and coffee portions for fellow inmates. He walked free in January 2024 after serving just 10 months of a 21-month term.
Other former prisoners at Chelmsford include ex-footballer Tony Adams, jailed for drink-driving in 1990, and 1960s gangster Mad Frankie Fraser.
The 1979 film version of classic comedy Porridge was mostly shot on location at HMP Chelmsford, whilst it was empty after a fire.
The Offences
Kebatu was last month jailed for a year after touching and trying to kiss a 14-year-old girl on two consecutive days in July near the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex.
His victim was in school uniform and he targeted her eight days after arriving in the UK on a dinghy packed with migrants.
Kebatu spotted the schoolgirl and a pal eating pizza in Epping and invited them back to the hotel and told them he wanted them to have his babies.
The case sparked widespread outrage and led to multiple protests outside the Bell Hotel, with three men recently jailed for violent disorder during demonstrations on 17 July.
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