1.00pm: The Home Office is informed that Kebatu has been mistakenly released.1.40pm: British Transport Police are alerted to the situation and begin searching for Kebatu on the rail network.3.00pm: Metropolitan Police are also notified and join the search for Kebatu in London.Evening: The search for Kebatu continues, with police appealing to the public for any information on his whereabouts.Saturday 25 October: The manhunt for Kebatu remains ongoing, with police continuing their search efforts across multiple locations.Sunday 26 October: The search for Kebatu enters its third day, with concerns growing over his potential risk to the public. Police urge anyone with information to come forward.Monday 27 October: The manhunt for Kebatu is still ongoing, with police working tirelessly to locate and apprehend the wrongly-released sex offender migrant.Wednesday 29 October: Despite extensive search efforts, Kebatu remains at large. Police continue to appeal to the public for any information that may lead to his capture.Thursday 30 October: The manhunt for Kebatu enters its second week, with authorities intensifying their efforts to track down the convicted sex offender. The public is urged to remain vigilant and report any sightings of Kebatu to the authorities. Pic: Met Police 9pm: The Met Police releases a CCTV image of Kebatu in Dalston, urging the public to report any sightings.10pm: The police issue an urgent appeal for information about Kebatu’s whereabouts.11pm: A 26-year-old man is arrested in Hackney on suspicion of assisting an offender.12am: Essex Police confirm Kebatu’s arrest in the Hackney area.1am: Kebatu is taken into custody by Essex Police.2am: The Met Police thank the public for their assistance in locating Kebatu. Sunday 26 October10.30am: The search for Kebatu continues, with police urging anyone who sees him not to approach him but to call 999 immediately.2.45pm: The Home Office confirms that Kebatu was released in error and apologizes for the mistake.6.00pm: The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) announces it will investigate the circumstances surrounding Kebatu’s release.Monday 27 October11.15am: The IOPC confirms that they have launched an investigation into the actions of Chelmsford Prison staff in relation to Kebatu’s release.3.30pm: A reward of £5,000 is offered for information leading to the capture of Kebatu.Wednesday 29 October9.00am: Police release new images of Kebatu in an effort to aid the public in identifying him.12.30pm: The search for Kebatu expands to include the use of drones and helicopters in the Stratford area.Friday 31 October1.00pm: The Metropolitan Police confirm that Kebatu has been located and is in custody.3.30pm: Kebatu is charged with multiple offences and is due to appear in court the following day.Saturday 1 November10.00am: Kebatu appears in court and is remanded in custody pending further legal proceedings.12.00pm: The IOPC releases a statement outlining their findings and recommendations for preventing similar incidents in the future.Overall, the manhunt for wrongly-released sex offender migrant Hadush Kebatu unfolded over the course of a week, involving multiple agencies and culminating in his capture and subsequent legal proceedings.

The manhunt for Hadush Kebatu, an asylum seeker and convicted sex offender who was wrongly freed from prison, continues.

The Ethiopian national had been serving a 12-month sentence at HMP Chelmsford since September. He was due to be released in order to be immediately deported, but instead he was able to board a train to London.

The mistake triggered a manhunt that now involves three police forces looking for the prisoner. His current whereabouts are unknown.

Here, Sky News examines how the event has unfolded:

Friday 24 October

Kebatu is released from HMP Chelmsford wearing a prison-issued grey tracksuit. He is also holding a clear plastic bag containing his possessions.

The prison released him on the expectation that he would be picked up by immigration enforcement, and the Home Office was ready to take Kebatu to an immigration removal centre, it is understood.

But it is unclear exactly what happened next.

A lorry driver, who was delivering equipment to Chelmsford jail on Friday, told Sky News correspondent Tom Parmenter he saw the «confused» offender outside the facility being directed by prison staff to the town’s railway station following his release.

The offender is said to have returned to the prison «four or five times» but was turned away.

Footage later appears to show Kebatu in Chelmsford High Street.

In the video he appears to ask a group of people for help.

12.41pm: The prisoner boards a Greater Anglia London-bound train at Chelmsford station.

12.51pm: The train arrives at Shenfield station, in the Essex borough of Brentwood.

12.57pm: Essex Police are informed by the prison service that Kebatu was mistakenly released.

The force says it has launched a search operation and is working closely with partner agencies.

Metropolitan Police releases image of Kebatu in Dalston. Police call on public to help with manhunt for Kebatu, says Met Police Commander James Conway. The manhunt for Hadush Kebatu, an asylum seeker and convicted sex offender who was wrongly freed from prison, continues. The Ethiopian national had been serving a 12-month sentence at HMP Chelmsford since September. He was due to be released in order to be immediately deported, but instead he was able to board a train to London. The mistake triggered a manhunt that now involves three police forces looking for the prisoner. His current whereabouts are unknown. Here, Sky News examines how the event has unfolded:

Friday 24 October

Kebatu is released from HMP Chelmsford wearing a prison-issued grey tracksuit. He is also holding a clear plastic bag containing his possessions. The prison released him on the expectation that he would be picked up by immigration enforcement, and the Home Office was ready to take Kebatu to an immigration removal centre, it is understood. But it is unclear exactly what happened next. A lorry driver, who was delivering equipment to Chelmsford jail on Friday, told Sky News correspondent Tom Parmenter he saw the «confused» offender outside the facility being directed by prison staff to the town’s railway station following his release. The offender is said to have returned to the prison «four or five times» but was turned away. Footage later appears to show Kebatu in Chelmsford High Street. In the video he appears to ask a group of people for help.

12.41pm: The prisoner boards a Greater Anglia London-bound train at Chelmsford station.

12.51pm: The train arrives at Shenfield station, in the Essex borough of Brentwood.

12.57pm: Essex Police are informed by the prison service that Kebatu was mistakenly released. The force says it has launched a search operation and is working closely with partner agencies. Caption: Kebatu in Dalston. (Image: Met Police) Metropolitan Police Takes Over Manhunt for Kebatu

On Saturday 25 October, the Metropolitan Police announced that it had taken over the manhunt for Kebatu. Commander James Conway stated that senior investigating officers were examining CCTV footage from around Stratford station and beyond to gather information about the prisoner’s movements.

At 2:00 pm, a delivery driver who had spoken to Kebatu outside Chelmsford prison told Sky News that the confused offender was directed to the railway station by prison staff. The driver mentioned that Kebatu seemed lost and had no idea where to go, spending approximately an hour and a half outside the prison before leaving.

Later at 4:30 pm, Met Police Commander James Conway made a direct appeal to Kebatu, urging him to make contact in a safe and controlled manner. Conway mentioned that Kebatu had expressed a desire to return to Ethiopia when speaking to immigration staff and advised him to either call 999 or report himself to a police station. Conway also noted that Kebatu had access to funds and had sought assistance from the public and station staff in Chelmsford and London.

The events leading up to Kebatu’s wrongful release included his conviction of five offenses after a trial at Chelmsford and Colchester magistrates’ courts in September. His case sparked protests in Epping, Essex, and outside hotels housing asylum seekers following his arrival in the UK by boat. The manhunt for Hadush Kebatu, an asylum seeker and convicted sex offender, who was mistakenly released from HMP Chelmsford, continues. Kebatu, an Ethiopian national, had been serving a 12-month sentence since September and was supposed to be released for immediate deportation. However, he managed to board a train to London instead, sparking a search involving three police forces.

Here is a breakdown of how the events unfolded:

Friday 24 October

Kebatu was released from HMP Chelmsford wearing a gray tracksuit and carrying a clear plastic bag with his belongings. The prison expected immigration enforcement to pick him up for deportation to an immigration removal center. However, the exact chain of events following his release remains unclear.

A lorry driver, delivering equipment to the jail, reported seeing Kebatu outside the facility looking confused and being directed by prison staff to the town’s railway station. Despite returning to the prison multiple times, he was turned away.

Later, footage emerged showing Kebatu on Chelmsford High Street, where he appeared to seek help from a group of people.

At 12:41 pm, Kebatu boarded a Greater Anglia London-bound train at Chelmsford station. The train arrived at Shenfield station in Brentwood, Essex, at 12:51 pm. By 12:57 pm, Essex Police were informed by the prison service of Kebatu’s mistaken release. The police force initiated a search operation and began collaborating with partner agencies to locate him.

CCTV footage captured Kebatu in Chelmsford, further intensifying the manhunt for his whereabouts. The ongoing search involves a coordinated effort across multiple law enforcement agencies to ensure Kebatu is located and apprehended promptly.

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