An asylum seeker housed at the controversial Bell Hotel in Epping sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl by putting his hand on her thigh and attempting to kiss her after she offered him a bite of her pizza, a court heard.
Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, then told the schoolgirl that he wanted to have a baby with her and a baby with her friend after she took pity because he “looked hungry”, it is alleged.
The migrant, who had arrived in the UK by small boat across the English Channel just eight days earlier, allegedly made inappropriate comments to the teenager and her friend “without any encouragement” shortly after approaching the children on July 7 in the Essex town.
Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court was told he pouted his lips towards the girls and had an erection as he told the two children “he wanted to have a baby with each of them” before inviting them back to his bedroom. Stuart Cowen, prosecuting, said Kebatu’s “advances” were rejected by the shocked 14-year-olds.
Mr Cowen told the court the case has “attracted quite a lot of publicity because of the defendant’s personal circumstances” – with the alleged incidents sparking protests and counter-protests outside the former Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex.
Similar protests have subsequently erupted outside hotels across the country housing asylum seekers.
Somani Hotels Limited, which owns the Bellproperty is currently subjected to a temporary injunction won by Epping Forest District Council who claim they failed to get planning permission for change of use prior to housing refugees.
The firm will have its bid to appeal against a ruling that it cannot house asylum seekers at the site heard by the Court of Appeal on Thursday.
The trial was told how Kebatu is alleged to have initially approached the two friends on July 7, before putting his hand on one of the girl’s thighs and attempting to kiss her again the following day.
The girl told police she “froze” during the alleged incident and told him “no, I’m 14”.
The alleged victim said the defendant responded “no, no, it doesn’t matter, you could come back to the Bell Hotel with me”.
The court was told Kebatu suggested that relationships between older men and younger girls was something that occurred in his home country.
The girl told police she got “really creeped out” by the alleged incident and that the asylum seeker “kept wanting us to come back to the Bell Hotel with him”.
She said in her police video interview: “He started waving at us. We sat on the same bench like we normally do. He came and sat next to us.”
The girl said the migrant “tried getting me to drink his beer”. “I said ‘no, sorry I don’t drink, I’m 14’.
“He said ‘age doesn’t matter’.”
Speaking about what happened when she offered Kebatu some pizza, the girl told police: “He’s hovering, he’s come over, he looked hungry so we was like ‘do you want a slice?’
“He sat down eating a slice. Out of nowhere he said, ‘I want one baby from you and one baby from your friend’.”
Asked how it made her feel, the girl told an officer: “I couldn’t really move, it just shocked me. I didn’t know what to do. My mind went blank.”
Another member of the public, who the court heard offered the defendant assistance with his CV, alleges Kebatu tried to kiss her, put his hand on her leg and tell her she was pretty on July 8.
The defendant, whose address was given as the Bell Hotel, spoke through an interpreter to give his date of birth as in December 1986, making him 38 years old, although court records have suggested he is 41.
The court list also suggests Kebatu’s chosen language is Tigrinya which is commonly spoken in the African country Eritrea. However a defence lawyer last week said she believed he hailed from Ethiopia.
Opening the case against the defendant, Mr Cowen said of the alleged incident with the teenagers: “It’s the Crown’s case he said he wanted to have a baby with each of them and attempted to kiss them.
“He invited them back to the Bell Hotel where he was a resident, having recently arrived in the UK.
“These advances were rejected and it was made clear to him (the girl) and her friends were 14 years of age.”
Addressing the alleged sexual assault on the female member of the public, Mr Cowen said: “She came and sat next to the defendant when the group got up, and she engaged in conversation and offered to help him with his CV.
“She then alleged he sexually assaulted her by putting his hand on her leg and tried to kiss her.”
“She will tell the court that while the defendant was behaving in this way, he appeared to have an erection,” the prosecutor added.
Kebatu denies three counts of sexual assault, one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, and one count of harassment without violence.
The trial of Kebatu continues and is expected to conclude on Wednesday.