HMP Chelmsford, which recently accidentally released a sex offender, also saw a fraudster manage to dodge jail time in 2023, before one mistake managed to expose his lies
Chelmsford Prison, which recently accidentally released sex offender Hadush Kebatu, also saw another criminal to dodge time inside, according to an investigation. The fraudster sent counterfeit ‘get out of jail free’ documents to the authorities, which allowed him to avoid being locked up.
Junead Ahmed, 36, was found guilty of fraud in 2023 after he confessed to impersonating a doctor to rent a property beyond his means and purchase a house valued at over £2million. While awaiting sentencing, he managed to escape HMP Chelmsford in June that year – by duping bosses with a fake High Court letter stating he had been granted release.
Ahmed, from Brentwood, Essex, casually walked out of the prison gates a free man.
Feeling brazen, Ahmed attempted to use the same tactic on two other inmates – but this caused suspicion from prison officers. They eventually cracked the truth and brought Ahmed back into custody.
Judge Mary Loram KC, presiding at Chelmsford Crown Court, described the crime as “very meticulously planned”.
She told the court: “Nothing can detract from the fact that the very meticulously planned escape here, even if it didn’t involve any violence threatened towards staff, is still a really serious offence. I’m not going to say anything other than that anyone involved in that inevitably faces an immediate term of imprisonment”.
Ahmed attempted to use his breakout method to free fellow prisoners Charlie Whittaker and Adam Mohamed.
Whittaker was locked up for one year for his role in a brawl which led to a mum’s death in Jaywick, Essex. Mohamed was being held for drug-related charges.
The judge revealed that Ahmed had developed a likke for Mohamed whilst behind bars.
She tolf Chelmsford Crown Court: “Adam Mohamed was somebody who Junead Ahmed looked kindly on during his time in prison, so he decided to make him the recipient of his newfound way of getting out of prison after it worked for him.”
Ahmed allegedly boasted to his wife: “I’m going to change his [Mohamed’s] life. He has such a great heart. He will die for me. I will release him.”
In November 2023, Ahmed received a four-year sentence for his six original fraud-related offences. But now, he faces an additional sentence after admitting to conspiracy to escape prison.
Five others have also been convicted for their involvement in the attempted “prison break”.
Hadush Kebatu, the sex offender accidentally released from jail, has been found and arrested again. The Met Police released a statement and revealed that he was found near a park after information was revealed by the public.
A spokesperson for the Met Police said: “Kebatu was arrested by Met officers in the Finsbury Park area of London at around 08:30hrs this morning (Sunday, 26 October)”. Commander James Conway, who has overseen the operation to find Kebatu, said: “This has been a diligent and fast paced investigation led by specialist officers from the Metropolitan Police, supported by Essex Police and the British Transport Police.
“Information from the public led officers to Finsbury Park and following a search, they located Mr Kebatu. He was detained by police, but will be returned to the custody of the Prison Service. I am extremely grateful to the public for their support following our appeal, which assisted in locating Mr Kebatu”.
Ethiopian national Hadush Kebatu was jailed for 12 months in September for the sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl in Epping and was freed from HMP Chelmsford instead of being sent to an immigration detention centre.
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