Court Hears Asylum Hotel Protest Descended into Violent Chaos in Epping
An Essex court has been told that a protest outside an asylum hotel turned Epping into "a scene of disorder and chaos" as a violent mob attacked police officers and caused widespread disruption. The trial centers on events that unfolded on 17 July 2025 outside The Bell Hotel in Essex, following sexual assault charges against an asylum seeker.
Defendants Deny Violent Disorder Charges
Lee Gower, 43, from Epping, and Phillip Curson, 53, from Upminster, both deny committing violent disorder during the protests. Gower additionally denies assaulting a police officer during the incident. The protests were triggered after asylum seeker Hadush Kebatu, an Ethiopian national who arrived in the UK on a small boat, was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.
Kebatu was later found guilty of five offences, including sexual assault, at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court. The case sparked several demonstrations outside the hotel throughout the summer, with the 17 July event becoming particularly volatile.
Prosecution Describes "Sustained Public Disorder"
Opening the trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, prosecutor Sam Willis told jurors that both defendants were part of a "violent mob" that engaged in repeated acts of violence and vandalism. "Although the protest began peacefully, it became violent," Willis stated. "These defendants are alleged to have been part of an aggressive mob that resorted to repeated acts of violence and vandalism - turning the town of Epping into a scene of disorder and chaos."
Willis detailed that Gower, Curson, and other unidentified individuals used violence including punching, kicking, throwing, pushing, and shoving, primarily targeting police officers and vehicles, but sometimes also aimed at counter-protesters.
Timeline of the Chaotic Events
The court heard that crowds began forming outside The Bell Hotel from around 4pm on 17 July, with approximately 400 to 500 people participating in the demonstration. At approximately 5:30pm, about 50 counter-protesters arrived at Epping train station and were escorted toward the hotel by police.
Simultaneously, protesters outside the hotel began running up the road to confront the counter-protesters. Police attempted to maintain separation by imposing a cordon, but the situation quickly deteriorated.
"From that point on until around 10pm, what had been a peaceful protest descended into serious public disorder in the streets of Epping," Willis told the court. "Police officers were subjected to sustained attacks, including acts and threats of violence. Officers were grabbed, pushed, punched, and kicked. Police vans were kicked and damaged."
Defense Arguments Presented
Six people have already pleaded guilty to violent disorder relating to the 17 July protest. In defense of the current defendants, barrister Tony Wyatt argued that Gower used force "in response to what he believed was unlawful force of a police service that had taken sides." Wyatt added, "His belief was that when the police came there, they came there on the side of counter-protesters."
For Curson, barrister Stefan Bisson told jurors that his client was "in the wrong place at the wrong time," having been at a nearby pub with his partner before the protest. Bisson asserted that any physical force used was "in self-defence or in defence of others."
Defendants' Statements to Police
Gower, arrested in Gloucester on 24 July, provided a prepared statement to police denying using unlawful violence and stating he had been acting in self-defense to prevent escalation of violence or disorder. He also denies assaulting an emergency worker.
Curson, who walked into Chelmsford Police Station on 28 July to surrender, denies using or threatening unlawful violence. The trial continues as the court examines the events that transformed a peaceful protest into what prosecutors describe as a chaotic and violent episode in the Essex town.
