An Ethiopian asylum seeker has been sentenced to 12 months in prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping, Essex. Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was found guilty of five offences following a three-day trial at Chelmsford and Colchester magistrates' courts. The incidents occurred just days after Kebatu arrived in the UK on a small boat and while he was accommodated at The Bell Hotel as part of the UK's asylum seeker housing program.

The court heard that Kebatu approached the teenager and her friends in Epping town center on July 7 and 8, inviting them back to the hotel and making unwanted advances. According to testimony, he told the girls "come back to Africa, you would be a good wife" and stated he wanted "one baby from you and one baby from your friend." The following day, Kebatu attempted to kiss the 14-year-old and placed his hand on her thigh, with the victim reporting she repeatedly said "no, I'm 14" but alleged he responded that "age did not matter."

Kebatu also sexually assaulted a woman who had been assisting him with his CV, placing his hand on her thigh after what she described as him "taking advantage of my kindness." During sentencing, District Judge Christopher Williams criticized Kebatu's account and said he had sought to portray himself as a victim and "scapegoat." The judge noted that while Kebatu had attempted suicide while on remand, there was "no realistic prospect" of rehabilitation, making a suspended sentence inappropriate.

The case sparked significant protests outside The Bell Hotel and other asylum seeker accommodations across the country. In victim impact statements, the 14-year-old said she now feels vulnerable wearing skirts and checks over her shoulder when with friends, while the adult victim expressed frustration that Kebatu "did not even appear to know that what he's done was wrong." The court also heard that Kebatu now wishes to be deported, a position he held even before the trial according to his lawyer Molly Dyas.

Families of the 29 victims killed in the 1994 Chinook helicopter crash are escalating their decades-long fight for answers, preparing to deliver a petition with more than 47,000 signatures to Downing Street demanding a public inquiry. The Chinook Justice Campaign has published 110 "critical questions" they want answered about the tragedy that claimed the lives of 25 intelligence experts and four special forces crew members when the aircraft crashed on the Mull of Kintyre on June 2, 1994.

The campaign comes after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer rejected calls for a judge-led inquiry into the incident, prompting families to declare they will "see the UK government in court." Among those delivering the petition on Tuesday are brothers Andy and Matt Tobias from Watford, whose father John Tobias was killed in the crash. The petition delivery will be accompanied by an attempt to deliver a letter directly to the Ministry of Defence.

Central to the families' concerns are questions about mission authorization, aircraft selection, and whether those on board were properly warned of risks. The campaign has gained momentum amid revelations that key documents related to the crash have been sealed until 2094—a century after the incident occurred. David Hill, technical expert for the Chinook Justice Campaign, characterized the government's position as "a betrayal by the state of them and their loved ones."

The crash investigation has followed a contentious path over the past three decades. Initial findings blamed pilot error for the tragedy, but this conclusion was overturned in 2011. The continuing secrecy surrounding the incident has drawn criticism from campaigners who argue it "undermines trust not only in the MoD but in the government itself." As families prepare to confront the government directly, the case represents one of Britain's longest-running military accountability battles.