In 2026, a high-profile review established that the search for Hadush Kebatu—a migrant sex offender who was mistakenly released from HMP Chelmsford—cost police forces a combined £152,738. The investigation established that Kebatu was freed in error on 24 October 2025, triggering a three-day manhunt across Essex and London. The prosecution reported that Kebatu had been serving a one-year sentence for the sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping, Essex, before the administrative blunder allowed him to walk out of prison.
The investigation established that Essex Police spent £80,656, with many officers working extra shifts of up to 17 hours to locate the fugitive. The Metropolitan Police allocated 1,178 staff hours over two days, costing £72,082. Kebatu was eventually re-arrested in Finsbury Park, North London, on 26 October 2025, after being spotted in a library. Following his recapture, he was deported to Ethiopia on 28 October 2025.
Systemic Failures and Dame Lynne Owens Review
The court reported that Dame Lynne Owens, the former Met Police deputy commissioner, conducted a review which described the incident as a “symptom of a broken system.” The investigation established that during the year ending March 2026, a total of 179 prisoners were mistakenly freed in error across the UK. The prosecution reported that Kebatu’s original offences occurred while he was residing at the Bell Hotel in Epping, which had previously sparked significant local protests and clashes with police.
Judge-led proceedings at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court and the subsequent review concluded that chronic under-resourcing and fragmented IT systems contributed to the error. Justice Secretary David Lammy noted that the rise in mistaken releases was “unacceptable” and committed to modernising the system with biometric technology. For his actions in Epping, Essex and the nature of the serial child abuse reported, Kebatu had been identified as a high-risk individual who should have been transferred directly to immigration detention rather than being freed.
Status and Statutory Requirements
Based on the judicial and review findings issued in 2025 and 2026:
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Sexual assault on a child aged 14; Sexual assault on a female; Attempted sexual assault; Inciting a child to engage in sexual activity).
- Custodial Status: DEPORTED (Following recapture in 2025; returned to Ethiopia).
- Manhunt Cost: £152,738 (Taxpayer-funded recovery operation).
- DBS Status: Placed on the Barring List (Indefinite and permanent ban on any regulated activity in the UK).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Chelmsford; reviewed by Dame Lynne Owens and the Ministry of Justice.
- Criminal Record: Convicted sex offender who arrived in the UK via small boat; Targeted a 14-year-old girl in school uniform; Mistakenly released from HMP Chelmsford; Triggered a £150k manhunt.
- Origin: The Bell Hotel, Epping, Essex (Originally from Ethiopia).
Monitoring and Public Protection
The case of Hadush Kebatu highlights the critical vulnerabilities in the UK’s multi-agency safeguarding framework. Due to the nature of his behaviour—specifically his “persistent” targeting of children in Epping, Essex—his mistaken release caused profound alarm within the community. Authorities reported that the 2026 review was essential to identifying the systemic failures that allowed a known predator to bypass the statutory requirements of the Prison Service.
As a deported offender, Kebatu is currently outside the jurisdiction of UK police, but his details remain permanently logged on the national police database and the Barring List. Authorities state that his behaviour identifies an individual who prioritised his own gratification over the safety and human rights of a 14-year-old girl. Any attempt by Kebatu to re-enter the UK or to bypass immigration controls in Essex or elsewhere will result in immediate intervention to ensure the ongoing safety of the public from a man who has violated the principles of human decency.
QUESTION – Given that “Biometric Fingerprinting” is now being trialled to prevent mistaken releases, do you believe that all prisoners should legally be required to undergo a face-and-thumb scan at every single gatehouse transition to ensure the right person is being moved?
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