Ethiopian national Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, who arrived in the UK on a small boat days before the incidents, was found guilty of five offences following a three-day trial at Chelmsford and Colchester magistrates’ courts. The Bell Hotel resident’s behaviour in July led to protesters and counter-protesters taking to the streets in Epping, Essex, and eventually outside hotels housing asylum seekers across the country. District Judge Christopher Williams found Kebatu guilty of two counts of sexual assault, one count of attempted sexual assault, one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and one count of harassment without violence. After finding him guilty, the judge said he “can expect an immediate custodial sentence to be imposed”. Kebatu is due to be sentenced at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court today.