Second migrant at Epping hotel charged with sexual assault

London- Alsharq Tribune- Mohamed Otaify 

A Syrian man living in an asylum hotel that has been at the forefront of anti-migrant protests has appeared in court charged with sexual assault.

Mohammed Sharwarq, 32, who is staying at the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, is accused of kissing a man on the neck on July 25. He is the second asylum seeker from the hotel to be charged with sexual assault in recent weeks.

Speaking through an Arabic interpreter, he denied a charge of sexually assaulting a man aged over 16 by touching him in a sexual way without consent.

But Mr Sharwarq admitted two further charges of assaulting the alleged sexual assault victim on July 25 and Aug 12 in Epping, and a charge of assault by beating of him between July 27 and Aug 11.

He also admitted three charges of assaulting Anthony Dias, Mohammed Sabeeludin and Mohammed Abdo Ali by beating them in Epping on Aug 12.

Mr Sharwarq, who stood in the glass-fronted dock, wearing a blue T-shirt and flanked by two guards, was remanded in custody by District Judge Lynette Woodrow. He will stand trial on the sex assault at the same court on Sept 30 after the district judge ruled that the matter was suitable to be heard by magistrates.

The court heard Mr Sharwarq was already on police bail following an allegation of affray at another asylum hotel in Gloucestershire, and had been given a caution for criminal damage on Aug 1. His police bail conditions mean he must not enter Gloucestershire.

‘Unwanted sexual contact’

Prosecutor Rebecca Debenham said it was the Crown’s case that the sex assault charge involved an abuse of trust.

Describing the alleged sex assault, she said: “The complainant was approached by Mr Sharwarq from behind.

Mr Sharwarq slapped the complainant on the back, causing no injury, and kissed him to the back of the neck, which was unwanted sexual contact. Whilst doing this, Mr Sharwarq was making comments such as ‘I love you’.”

Ms Debenham said the assault charges against the same man involved Mr Sharwarq charging at him, causing fear of violence, before he was restrained by another person. A further incident involved the man being slapped on the back and kicked on the back of the neck, causing no injury.

The other assaults on Aug 12 involved a complainant being punched in the face and knocked to the ground. Another man was punched in the arm and had a banana thrown at him by Mr Sharwarq, said Ms Debenham.

The three-star Bell Hotel has been at the centre of a series of anti-migrant protests held outside state-funded accommodation for asylum seekers in recent weeks.

The protests, which have sparked demonstration at other hotels across the country, started after an Ethiopian asylum seeker living at The Bell was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl by trying to kiss her days after arriving in the UK in a small boat on June 29.

Kebatu is charged with three counts of sexual assault, one count of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, and one count of harassment without violence.

He was remanded in custody by Chelmsford magistrates in July after he denied all the charges, and is due to stand trial at the same court on Aug 26 and 27.

Epping Forest district council has applied for an interim High Court injunction to stop asylum seekers from being housed at the Bell. The leader of the council said it had taken the action because “the current situation cannot go on”, adding that the Home Office “continues not to listen”