Lammy confirms independent investigation into wrongful release of migrant sex offender
David Lammy has confirmed there will be an independent investigation into the accidental release of a migrant jailed for sex offences, as he blamed “human error” for the incident.
The deputy prime minister and justice secretary told MPs he was “livid” on behalf of Hadush Kebatu’s victims and he would be deported back to Ethiopia “as quickly as possible”.
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Kebatu, who was found guilty in September of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping, was freed in error from HMP Chelmsford in Essex on Friday instead of being handed over to immigration officials for deportation.
His accidental release sparked widespread alarm and a manhunt that resulted in him being found and arrested by the Metropolitan Police in the Finsbury Park area of London at around 8.30am on Sunday.
The incident has sparked questions over how the man, whose crimes sparked protests in Epping over the use of asylum hotels, was able to be freed.
Addressing MPS in the House of Commons, Mr Lammy said the mistake should not have happened as he sought to lay part of the blame on to the Conservatives over the state of the prison system over the past 14 years.
He said “there must and there will be accountability” for the mistaken release of Kebatu from prison.
“I’ve been clear from the outset that a mistake of this nature is unacceptable,” he said.
“We must get to the bottom of what happened and take immediate action to try and prevent similar releases in error to protect the public from harm.”
Mr Lammy said that he ordered an “urgent review” into the checks that take place when an offender is released from prison, and that new safeguards have been added that amount to the “strongest release checks that have ever been in place”.
The justice secretary said the investigation would be led by former Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Dame Lynne Owens, who also used to lead the National Crime Agency.
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Witness describes confusion outside prison
He also said the investigation would have the same status as high-profile probes into other prison incidents, including the the attack on three prison officers at HMP Franklin in April of this year and the escape of Daniel Khalife from HMP Wandsworth in 2023.
‘Calamity Lammy’
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick referred to a report by Sky News which detailed how a witness present at the prison observed Kebatu appearing “confused” upon his release.
The witness said Kebatu had in fact tried to go back into the prison several times, but was instead guided to Chelmsford station where he caught a train to London.
Mr Jenrick claimed the case was proof that “the only illegal migrants this government are stopping are those that actually want to leave the UK”.
“Dear oh dear,” he said. “Where to begin? This justice secretary could not deport the only small boat migrant who wanted – no – who tried to be deported.
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“Having been mistakenly released, Hadush Kebatu came back to prison asking to be deported not once, not twice, but five times, but he was turned away.”
He went on: “The only illegal migrants this government are stopping are those that actually want to leave the UK.
“His officials, briefing the press, called it the mother of all – yeah, they’re not wrong, are they?”
Mr Jenrick, who served as immigration minister under the previous Conservative government, branded his opposite number “calamity Lammy”.
“It’s a national embarrassment and today the justice secretary feigns anger at what happened.”
Continuing with his attack, Mr Jenrick asked Mr Lammy whether he would resign if Kebatu was not deported “by the end of the week” – to which he received no reply.
But asked later by an MP whether he was considering his position, Mr Lammy replied: “A ridiculous question, the answer is no.”
The new checks announced by Mr Lammy today involve five pages of instructions and require more senior prison staff to sign off a release, according to documents obtained by Sky News.
The instructions are effective from Monday.
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Sir Keir Starmer has said Rachel Reeves will face no further action over her “inadvertent failure” to obtain a rental licence for her south London home.
The chancellor had come under pressure to explain whether she had broken housing law by not getting the licence for the property when she moved into Number 11 Downing Street last year.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called for her to resign or be sacked.
But in a letter published on Thursday night, the prime minister said correspondence shared by Ms Reeves shows her husband had been assured by the couple’s estate agents “that they would apply for a licence on his behalf”.
Sir Keir said it was “regrettable” he had not been made aware of the correspondence sooner, with an initial letter the chancellor sent him on Wednesday having suggested she was “not aware that a licence was necessary”.
A second letter from Ms Reeves on Thursday informed the prime minister that she had found correspondence between the letting agent and her husband about applying for the licence on their behalf.
Sir Keir said in his reply: “I understand that the relevant emails were only unearthed by your husband this morning, and that you have updated me as soon as possible.”
The PM labelled the incident “an inadvertent failure” and said he sees “no need” for further action.
Lettings agency apologises
Number 10 also published advice given to the PM by his independent ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, saying he’d found “no evidence of bad faith”.
The owner of lettings agency Harvey and Wheeler has released an apology to the chancellor.
Gareth Martin confirmed a member of his staff said they would apply for the licence – but this was never done, as the person “suddenly resigned” prior to the start of the tenancy.
He said: “We deeply regret the issue caused to our clients as they would have been under the impression that a licence had been applied for.”
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The housing row had loomed over Rachel Reeves. Pic: PA
Ms Reeves had immediately faced calls to leave her post after a report in the Daily Mail, which saw her admit to mistakenly breaching local council housing rules by failing to secure the licence.
The newspaper reported Ms Reeves had failed to pay for a “selective” licence when renting out her family home in Dulwich, south London, which she has left while living in Downing Street as chancellor.
The Housing Act 2004 gives councils the power to make landlords accredit themselves in certain areas.
Ms Reeves has apologised over the incident, and for the delay in clarifying what advice her husband had received from the estate agent.
“I am sorry about this matter and accept full responsibility for it,” she told the PM.
Number 10 has consistently backed Ms Reeves ahead of her delivering the budget on 26 November.
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