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A Syrian asylum seeker who committed a series of assaults while a resident at the Bell Hotel in Epping has expressed a desire to return to his war-torn homeland, a court heard on Tuesday.
Mohammed Sharwarq, 32, arrived in the UK via a small boat and was residing at the hotel when the offences took place this summer.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of common assault and four counts of assault by beating.
Prosecutor Terence Newman detailed multiple incidents at the hotel, involving four male victims, two of whom were fellow residents and two were staff.
In one instance, Sharwarq slapped a resident to the back, and on another occasion, he charged at the same man, causing fear of assault.
Later, he slapped the man again and kicked him to the back of the neck, and separately punched him, causing a small cut to his jawline.
On 12 August, Sharwarq's aggression escalated: he punched a cleaner in the arm, threw a banana hitting him on the back of the head, and attempted to slap a hotel chef, before picking up a chair and being restrained until police arrived.
Paul Baker, mitigating, explained that Sharwarq, an engineer by trade, fled the Syrian civil war in 2011, travelling through Turkey and Germany before reaching the UK.
Mr Baker suggested the death of Sharwarq’s mother was the 'final straw,' potentially triggering a 'kind of breakdown' from the 13 to 14 years of stress.
Sharwarq, despite the continuing atrocities, deaths, and disappearances, ‘just wants to return back to Syria,’ saying ‘He’s just had enough.’ District Judge Lynette Woodrow is scheduled to pass sentence later today.