Latest news with #asylumSeeker
Telegraph
21-07-2025
- Telegraph
Migrant who sexually assaulted 17-year-old had ‘never been so close to a white woman'
An asylum seeker convicted of assaulting a teenage girl on a beach told her he had 'never been this close to a white woman'. Moffat Konofilia who travelled 10,000 miles to the UK from the Solomon Islands was staying on the Bibby Stockholm migrant barge in Portland, Dorset, in December 2023 when he carried out the offence on the nearby Weymouth seafront. The 48-year-old sat next to the 17-year-old girl on the beach and began talking to her. The girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said Konofilia commented on the colour of her skin and said he had 'never been this close to a white woman', which made her feel uncomfortable. He told her he was in Weymouth on holiday but in fact he lived on the barge that is moored at Portland Port, a court was told. He had taken the bus into Weymouth and bought beers to drink on the beach, 'as he often did'. The girl began secretly recording their conversation and was heard saying 'no, no' as Konofilia tried to kiss her on the mouth before apologising. The victim left to walk home and Konofilia tried to follow her but she managed to lose him down an alleyway, the court was told. The girl reported the incident to the authorities the next day. When Konofilia was interviewed by police he said the girl told him she was 18 and that he wanted to help her. He claimed he had not kissed her but had put an arm around her to comfort her and she had pulled away. He denied kissing her or following her when she left. Konofilia, a former footballer for the Solomon Islands national team, was found guilty of one count of sexual assault by magistrates in Poole. Sentencing was adjourned for reports and he was released on bail. He now resides at Quadrant Hall in Coventry, which is a former university accommodation hall that was converted to house 100 asylum seekers. Although he speaks English, he said his first language was Pijin, a common language in the Solomon Islands. At a previous court hearing, he said he had two interviews for his asylum claim which depended on the outcome of this case. The Solomon Islands are the seventh-furthest country from the UK and there are currently no specific visas for Solomon Islanders to enter the UK to seek asylum. Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea are the primary destinations for asylum seekers from the Solomon Islands.
Daily Mail
18-07-2025
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Met confirms police van 'made contact' with protester at anti-migrant demo when thugs clashed with officers near asylum hotel after Ethiopian resident was charged over schoolgirl sex assault
The Metropolitan Police have confirmed one of their vans made contact with a protester during the chaos outside a migrant hotel which saw thugs clash with officers yesterday. Hundreds of furious residents gathered outside The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, on Thursday night, following the arrest of an asylum seeker accused of sexually assaulting teenage schoolgirls. The protest began peacefully, but later flared into violence after a group of hardcore agitators stopped three Essex Police riot vans from driving past the hotel to support their colleagues in the centre of the town. Children in balaclavas joined grown men and women to block the road by standing across it, before protesters started attacking the police vehicles, with some seen hurling projectiles at the vans and officers. Dramatic footage shared online appeared to show the moment a demonstrator was driven into by one of the police vehicles. The Essex Police van can be seen knocking over the young man, who stood in Epping High Road, in what appears to be an attempt to stop the vehicle leaving. In a comment addressing the video, a spokesperson for the Met said: 'Met officers attended Epping, Essex on the evening of Thursday, 17 July, following a request by Essex Police to support with an ongoing protest and counter-protest. 'On arrival, officers were met with significant hostility from protesters, with police vehicles damaged and officers threatened with violence. During their attendance, officers attempted to leave the immediate area due to safety concerns and were subsequently blocked in by the group of protesters using barriers. During this, a police van made contact with one of the protesters.' Protesters had erected a make-shift barrier made up of pallets and plastic fencing in the road to stop police leaving the scene. But the first of four Essex Police vans crashed through the barrier, leading to a protester to stand in the road, who was then knocked out of the way by the second van as people screamed: 'Oh my god' and 'what the f***'. The youth who was mown down by the police van is then seen getting up and brushing himself down as he shouts at the convoy. Another man, who was standing by the side of the road, also fell to the ground during the chaotic clip - which has been seen more than 2.4million times online. It is unclear whether either man needed medical attention. Essex Police officers, dressed in full riot-gear, can be seen sat in the vehicles - as thugs are seen attacking the vans, kicking and launching missiles at them. They had been among up to 100 officers who battled with anti-migrant protesters who had confronted a counter an anti-racism demonstration. Speaking to journalists this afternoon, Essex's Assistance Chief Constable Stuart Hooper, condemned last night's 'mindless thuggery', which left eight officers hurt. Warning those behind the mayhem they will 'feel the full force of the law', ACC Hooper said: 'If you were one of those individuals that was responsible for the damage - particularly to my officers or vehicle - you can expect a knock on your door.' He added: 'Eight of my officers... were assaulted last night and that is absolutely, totally unaccepted. They have come here to do a role, to support their communities – they're a part of that community. And that's what we won't tolerate.' The injured officers suffered minor injuries to their hands, as well as cuts and grazes elsewhere, ACC Hooper said. The top officer's comments come amid fears more protests could flare up tonight, triggering a fresh wave of violence. Insisting police were there to 'support peaceful protest', ACC Hooper said the force wanted to 'make sure everyone's voices are heard'. But he said: 'We don't want to see those acts of violence in our streets. 'If you are coming here with the intention of carrying out mindless thuggery, that is not acceptable and we will deal with that.' The demonstrators started peacefully early in the afternoon on Thursday. But by 6.30pm, violence had started to spill out onto the street, ACC Hooper said. Carrying placards reading 'Refugees Welcome' some of the counter protesters were pelted with bottles, eggs and can and told to 'f*** off out of Epping' by an angry mob. The protesters were calling for the closure of Epping's Bell Hotel as Home Office accommodation for asylum seekers following the arrest of one resident migrant on sexual assault charges against schoolgirls. Essex Police has confirmed it is aware of a video which appeared to show a police vehicle drive into a protester. Speaking of the incident, ACC Hooper said the video had been reported to the force, but said they had seen another video 'which maybe shows it from a different angle'. 'And I guess the angles and perceptions show a different thing,' he added. 'So I'm not sure that exact incident is as it's been reported in the media.' Photos from later in the evening show one of the vans with a smashed windscreen, while one masked man is seen jumping up and down on the roof of another police vehicle. Other footage from earlier in the mayhem showed men repeatedly punching and kicking the vans, as another man yells 'smash it, smash it' while officers sat trapped inside while the vandals attempted to break the windows. Several thugs then clambered on to the roof of the vehicles, before jumping up and down. The van was eventually forced to flee with its back doors wide open. The agitators also threw fireworks and bottles at police as they sought to protect anti-racism counter-demonstrators. Essex Police said that they had already identified several suspects they believe are responsible for damaging police vehicles, the hotel, and assaulting officers. Officers on patrol also arrested a man on suspicion of affray, following an assault reported close to The Bell Hotel on Sunday evening. Police armed with riot shields form a barrier across the road following a major public order incident in Epping on Thursday Dean Walters, 65, of Harlow, has been charged with affray and released on bail to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court on September 24, with stringent conditions until then. The latest unrest has been triggered after Ethiopian asylums seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was charged with a number of sexual offences. He was arrested by officers on July 8 after reports of a man acting inappropriately towards a number of people. Kebatu appeared at Colchester Magistrates' Court on Thursday, July 10, and denied all offences. Kebatu was charged with three counts of sexual assault, as well as one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and one count of harassment without violence. At the protest well-dressed mothers stood side-by-side with retired businessmen and women and dozens of bald tattooed middle-aged men to call for the hotel to stop operating as refugee accommodation. One bearded man wearing shorts draped a union flag over his shoulders as he took selfie pictures outside the embattled hostel. Essex Police were out in force in the picturesque commuter town - blocking the entrance to the hotel car park with a riot van. One of the demonstrators told how the 'whole of Epping' was united in opposition to housing asylum seekers in their town. The 74-year-old retired company director who declined to give his name said: 'We are all absolutely sick of it. They should all be sent back to where they've come from. If they came in a small boat from France then they should be sent back to France. 'It's absolutely outrageous that we have to pay for them - the food, their accommodation, their phones, everything. 'How is it that our children can't walk home from school without being attacked?' A mother-of-three added: 'This is not about being racist, it's about protecting our children. There are a load of schools near here and there are all these single men here in the hotel and no one knows who they are. Hundreds of furious Essex residents took to the streets to voice their anger following the arrest of a migrant on sex assault charges against school girls 'They've not been screened, or checked or anything.' One man held a flag of St George with the slogan written in black: 'Save Our Kids'. Youths wearing face masks, caps and sunglasses surged through bushes at the side of the road to try to confront their opponents. Police were forced to push some of the anti-migrant protesters back. But some managed to break through police lines and grabbed the anti-racism placards and threw them back at their opponents. Meanwhile a middle aged man with a Union flag draped over his shoulders and a black trilby hat joined the crowd with a loud speaker playing ska music classics. Police were forced to create a protective ring around the 50 or so anti-racism demonstrators as they became surrounded by protesters at the entrance to Epping town centre. Essex Police then deployed squads of riot officers as protesters urged the demonstrators to 'f*** off out of Epping' and accused them of protecting 'paedos'. The anti-racism group were pelted by occasional bottles, cans and eggs hurled by the anti-migrant protesters. Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow said: 'I am sure those living in Epping have concerns following tonight. I share those concerns. 'We know the people who carried out these crimes do not represent Epping or Essex. 'Nothing about the offending we saw tonight is representative of these communities, or the peaceful event that ended before this started. This was crime. 'Our detectives are already working through the footage of this evening – from our officers bodyworn camera, from our drones and from social media – and where offences are identified we will take action. 'People attended the earlier protest and did so peacefully, lawfully and responsibly. I'd like to thank them for expressing their views this way given the strength of feeling locally. 'The details of the ongoing sexual assault case can be found on our website, and I reiterate the importance for respect for the court process to prevent the release of any prejudicial information in relation to that case.' On Friday afternoon, a security guard remained on site at the Bell Hotel, opening the gate in the fencing and the door of the hotel to let people in and out. Fencing has since been put up to surround the hotel, accompanied with no entry signs. There are also warnings forbidding photography and filming in the vicinity of the hotel. Broken glass and remnants of flares remain on the ground from the incident. ACC Hooper believes that, although there are polarised views in Epping surrounding the hotel holding asylum seekers, a lot of those responsible for the violence came from further afield. He said: 'We actually saw last night we believe outsiders from our communities. People have come from outside their local areas into Epping to commit acts of violence and damage. 'That was really disappointing to see, because we know our communities wanted a voice and wanted to tell us what was going on, and they were peaceful in their activity. 'I've seen some of the social media comments and spoken to a number of members of the community, and there are polarised views. 'But it's our role as police to be independent and to, without fear or favour, make sure that people have the right to peaceful protest. 'What I won't stand for is those mindless acts of vandalism and violence that we saw and making sure that we are very robust in supporting our communities. 'Our communities don't want to see this violence, and they want to have their voice heard peacefully.' On Sunday night, rival groups of anti-migrant demonstrators and counter-protesters faced off outside the hotel. Two people, who worked as security guards at the hotel, were left bloodied and injured on July 13 after being attacked at a bus stop. Police said the two victims then managed to make their way past the protest site into the hotel, where there was a significant policing presence, to get help. A second incident took place on Tuesday July 15 with a man shouting racial abuse directed at the hotel, before later causing damage to the property. Police arrested a man on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence and criminal damage, although he was later released on bail.
BreakingNews.ie
20-06-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Man (63) wielded knife at asylum seeker in Dublin migrant camp
A dog walker was sentenced to three months in jail after being convicted of brandishing a knife at an asylum seeker in a Dublin migrant camp. Raymond Lawless (63), of St Andrew's Court, was found guilty of the production of a knife at Sandwith Street, both in Dublin 2, on May 8th, 2023. Advertisement He denied the offensive weapon charge but was found guilty by Judge John Hughes at Dublin District Court, handed a sentence, and fined €500. In evidence, the complainant said he was an asylum seeker who had been living in a tent in the encampment. He alleged: "This man came around chasing everybody in the place with a knife". He described it as a kitchen knife and recalled Lawless had his small Yorkshire terrier with him. Advertisement However, he said the accused threatened to return later with two bigger dogs to "chase us back to wherever we came from". The witness said he called gardaí to report the man coming into the camp to attack "me and two or three guys". He stated he tried to rescue his friends from Lawless. Cross-examined, he agreed he was intimidated not by the little dog with Lawless but because he said he would come back with two big dogs. Challenged over his knife claim, the defence barrister told the witness that Lawless had a trowel for cleaning up after his dog. Advertisement "It was a knife," he replied. Garda Alan Cawley obtained CCTV footage from the area and took statements. The video evidence was played during the hearing. Rejecting the accusation when he took the stand, Lawless insisted he just went out to walk his dog and had a small garden trowel to clean up after his pet. He said he vaguely remembered the day and denied having anything on him to frighten anyone. Advertisement Reacting to the complainant's evidence, Lawless said, "That's a complete lie; I deny that," adamant that he never went around carrying a knife. Questioned by the prosecutor, he confirmed he knew there was a refugee camp there because he lived across the road. He said he no longer had the trowel because the dog had died and got rid of all his pet's things. When told the item looked like a knife, he replied, "It may do, but I was not carrying a knife." He added that he never spoke to anyone in the camp. Advertisement Judge Hughes did not accept his account and said it was "abundantly clear" in the CCTV footage that he was carrying a silver, chrome and long knife distinct from a garden trowel. Ireland Minister for Justice 'confident' Government will h... Read More He noted that the accused had one previous conviction for assault causing harm, which led to a Circuit Court imposing an 18-month suspended sentence in 2012. The court heard he had been receiving cancer treatment. Judge Hughes imposed the fine and a nine-month sentence but suspended the final six months on condition he did not reoffend in two years, had no contact with the complainant, stayed away from Sandwith Street, and completed an anger-management course. Lawless was released after lodging appeal bail.
Telegraph
19-06-2025
- Telegraph
Asylum seeker blames rape of teenage girl on ‘cultural differences'
An Afghani asylum seeker tried to defend his rape of a 15-year-old Scottish schoolgirl by citing cultural differences and a language barrier. Sadeq Nikzad, 29, entered the UK illegally on a small boat in 2023, and later that year subjected the teenager to a terrifying sex attack in broad daylight in Falkirk town centre. Nikzad will serve nine years in custody followed by three years on licence, go on the sex offenders register and be deported at the end of his sentence. As the sentence was passed at Livingston High Court, Nikzad repeatedly shouted 'liar' at Mr Justice Morris. He was convicted of rape at the High Court in Edinburgh earlier this year after a jury heard how he approached the girl and asked for her phone number and if she had a boyfriend. He then made sexual remarks towards the underage girl, before leading her to the rear of The Courtyard pub where he attacked and raped her. 'She was only 15' The girl said that she froze during the assault, while a woman who came across the victim shortly after said she had been 'in a daze'. The witness said: 'She looked stunned. I knew something had gone wrong. She came to me for comfort. She said she kept telling the guy she was only 15.' Janice Green, Nikzad's defence counsel, told an earlier hearing that her client had not been educated about the significant cultural differences between the UK and Afghanistan. Ms Green also said that the schoolgirl's evidence about language difficulties between them and the fact she had not told the accused 'No' meant the offence was 'not a typical stranger rape'. She added: 'There are no issues raised by him in relation to fear of persecution and the ultimate result is that he'll be deported at the conclusion of his sentence.' During sentencing, Mr Justice Morris told the accused through an interpreter: 'You've been convicted of an extremely serious sexual offence against a child, and I know your counsel has now explained to you that in those circumstances only a substantial custodial sentence is appropriate.' 'Appalling, opportunistic attack' After sentencing, Katrina Parkes, procurator fiscal for High Court Sexual Offences, said: 'This was an appalling, opportunistic attack on a young girl who should have been safe going about her daily business.' She added: 'I hope this prosecution sends a clear message to men who commit serious acts of sexual violence against women and children.' Det Insp Forbes Wilson, from the Forth Valley public protection unit, said: 'Nikzad's heinous actions had a profound effect on his young victim and I would like to commend her strength throughout this ordeal.'
Daily Mail
18-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Asylum seeker who raped girl, 15, was not aware of 'cultural' differences, claims his lawyer
An Afghani asylum seeker who entered the UK illegally on a small boat kicked off in court after he was caged for raping a 15-year-old schoolgirl. Sadeq Nikzad, 29, who claimed he'd not been educated on 'cultural differences' repeatedly shouted 'liar' at judge John Morris, KC, after he was handed a 12-year extended sentence at Livingston High Court. The judge hurriedly left the bench as the accused, screaming and gesticulating wildly, was handcuffed by security guards before being led to the cells. Nikzad will serve nine years in custody followed by three years on licence, go on the sex offenders register and at the end of his sentence, be deported. The court heard that Nikzad entered the UK illegally two years ago, before subjecting the vunerable teenager to the terrifying oportunistic sex attack in Falkirk town centre in October 2023. He was convicted of rape at the High Court in Edinburgh earlier this year after a jury heard how he approached the girl and asked for her phone number and if she had a boyfriend. He then made sexual remarks towards the underage youngster before leading her to the rear of The Courtyard pub where he attacked and raped her. The girl said that she froze during the assault while a woman who came across the victim shortly after said she had been 'in a daze'. The witness said: 'She looked stunned. I knew something had gone wrong. She came to me for comfort. She said she kept telling the guy she was only 15.' Nikzad's defence counsel Janice Green told an earlier hearing that her client had not been educated about the significant cultural differences between the UK and Afghanistan. Ms Green also said that the schoolgirl's evidence about language difficulties between them and the fact she had not told the accused 'No' meant the offence was 'not a typical stranger rape'. She added: 'There are no issues raised by him in relation to fear of persecution and the ultimate result is that he'll be deported at the conclusion of his sentence.' Passing sentence, judge Morris told the accused through an interpreter: 'You've been convicted of an extremely serious sexual offence against a child, and I know your counsel has now explained to you that in those circumstances only a substantial custodial sentence is appropriate.' As he informed Nikzad that his name would also be placed on the sex offenders register, he lost his temper and started waving his arms in the air and shouting at his interpreter and the judge. After sentencing, Katrina Parkes, Procurator Fiscal for High Court Sexual Offences, said: 'This was an appalling, opportunistic attack on a young girl who should have been safe going about her daily business.' She added: 'I hope this prosecution sends a clear message to men who commit serious acts of sexual violence against women and children.' Detective Inspector Forbes Wilson, from the Forth Valley Public Protection Unit, said: 'Nikzad's heinous actions had a profound effect on his young victim and I would like to commend her strength throughout this ordeal.'
