Hadush Kebatu was arrested by police in Finsbury Park in north London two days after he was released from HMP Chelmsford, Essex, in error – Jack Neilhall
A migrant who was accidentally released from prison has been recaptured in north London after a police manhunt, News.Az reports citing the BBC.
Hadush Kebatu was located in the Finsbury Park area at around 08:30 GMT on Sunday — two days after being mistakenly freed from HMP Chelmsford.
He was taken into custody on suspicion of being unlawfully at large.
The Met Police said Kebatu “will be returned to the custody of the Prison Service”, though Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he would immediately be deported.
Kebatu, who was sentenced last month for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping while living in an asylum hotel, was due to be deported when he was mistakenly set free by prison staff.
Cmd James Conway, who oversaw the operation to find Kebatu, said: “This has been a diligent and fast paced investigation led by specialist officers from the Metropolitan Police, supported by Essex Police and the British Transport Police (BTP).
“Information from the public led officers to Finsbury Park and following a search, they located Mr Kebatu.
“I am extremely grateful to the public for their support following our appeal, which assisted in locating Mr Kebatu.”
Hadush Kebatu posed a “significant risk of reoffending”, the judge said during sentencing
Essex Police were first made aware that Kebatu had been released in error at 12:57 on Friday but Kebatu had already boarded a train to east London 16 minutes earlier.
Kebatu was also was filmed in Chelmsford city centre speaking to members of the public shortly after he was released, and police confirmed he approached several people seeking assistance.
He was picked up on CCTV at a library in the Dalston area on Friday evening wearing a prison-issue grey tracksuit and carrying a white bag with pictures of avocados on it.