30-Year-Old Asylum Seeker Appears in Court After Being Accused of a Terrible Act Against a Local Woman, But He Insists: “I Didn’t Do It”
A 30-year-old asylum seeker living at the former RAF Wethersfield airbase has appeared in court after being accused of assaulting a woman and causing criminal damage during an incident at an RSPCA charity shop in Essex.
Ramadhani Matenga appeared before Colchester Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, where he denied both the common assault and criminal damage charges. The allegations relate to an incident that is said to have taken place at the Danaher RSPCA shop in Braintree in May.
During the hearing, prosecutor Sarah Thompson told the court that Matenga is an asylum seeker currently living at the former RAF Wethersfield site. Because English is not his first language, he followed the court proceedings with the help of a Swahili interpreter.
The former RAF base has been used by the Home Office since July 2023 to house single adult male asylum seekers between the ages of 18 and 65. Around 800 men currently live at the site while their asylum claims are being processed.
The accommodation has been the subject of ongoing debate since it opened. Some residents living near the base have previously said they are worried about the impact of the facility on their community and have claimed they no longer feel as safe as they once did.
Campaigners have also organised regular protests calling for the migrant accommodation to be shut down, especially after the Home Office announced that the site would continue operating beyond 2027. Demonstrations have attracted large crowds, with one protest in January reportedly drawing up to 1,000 people. Among those attending was right-wing activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. Protesters carried flags and banners displaying messages including “Essex Voices Matter” and “We Will Not Be Silenced.”
As part of the arrangements for people living at RAF Wethersfield, shuttle buses run three times a day to nearby towns including Braintree, Colchester and Chelmsford, allowing residents to access local shops and services.
Following the court hearing, Matenga was granted conditional bail. The court ordered that he must not enter Braintree town centre and must not contact any of the prosecution witnesses while the case is ongoing.
The case has not yet been decided, and Matenga has denied all of the allegations against him. His trial is expected to take place at Colchester Magistrates’ Court next year, where the evidence will be heard before a verdict is reached.
