A YOUNG waitress knocked unconscious by a violent asylum seeker who then went on the run said yesterday: “It’s scary knowing he’s still out there.”
Cleo Lake, 21, suffered a broken nose when she was punched by coward Abdoela Berhan after she rejected his advances outside a club.
Cleo Lake was knocked unconscious by a violent asylum seekerCredit: BNPS
Shocking footage showed the Eritrean flooring Cleo in Bournemouth and running off, leaving her helpless in December 2024.
Berhan, 35, who was living at taxpayers’ expense in the town’s Britannia Hotel, was arrested later but claimed he acted in self-defence.
We revealed in August last year that it is one of three prime hotels near the town’s beach used to house migrants, angering tourists and locals.
Berhan was found guilty of assault in his absence after dodging court — just a week after he was convicted of attacking a Subway worker in another incident.
He was also found guilty of criminal damage to a police cell in a third trial in his absence.
Despite there being three warrants out for his arrest, Berhan remains at large, with police saying only that “enquiries are ongoing”.
Cleo said: “It’s frustrating knowing he still hasn’t been picked up. It’s scary knowing he’s probably still out there, maybe still in the area.
“I know how slow the police are with things — it doesn’t feel like they are trying very hard.”
Her mum, Helen O’Brien, who saw the footage of the attack in court, said: “It was shocking and upsetting.
“Cleo had told me about what happened but watching a video of a grown man hurting your child is devastating. I’m just grateful she wasn’t hurt more.
“I feel he’s never going to be found. He’s roaming around somewhere.
“He’s violent and isn’t going to stop because he’s not had any consequences for what he’s done.
“I’m angry there’s no background checks on people like this coming into our country.
“We all have to have passports, National Insurance, driving licences to say who we are and they have nothing.
“We’ve no idea what he’s capable of. It’s frightening.”
Berhan had sat next to Cleo as she and two friends sat outside a club and tried to put his arm around one of them after they left. Cleo told him to “f**k off” and pushed him away.
Berhan aimed a kick at her and she retaliated with a kick, at which point he punched her and fled.
Cleo told Poole JPs of the effect the assault had on her. She said: “After, I didn’t go out for a while. I got quite bad anxiety around men.
“Even now, a year and a half later, I won’t go clubbing unless there’s a lot of us or someone’s boyfriend is there, for protection.”
Judge Orla Austin said she was satisfied of Berhan’s guilt and issued an arrest warrant.
She said: “Prison is very much in the forefront of my mind”.
