A woman has appeared in court after allegedly confronting staff outside a Canary Wharf migrant hotel with a meat cleaver, following an incident where a man reportedly walked into her mother’s flat uninvited.
Channay Augustus, 22, was arrested and charged with multiple offences, including possession of an offensive weapon, affray, assault on an emergency worker, common assault, and possession of cannabis. She was remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear at Snaresbrook Crown Court on December 12.
The altercation took place on Wednesday evening outside the Britannia Hotel, which is currently being used to house asylum seekers. According to court proceedings, Ms Augustus had earlier discovered a man — believed to be in his early 20s and living at the hotel — inside her mother’s flat, located just five minutes away. Her mother is partially blind and was reportedly alone at the time.
Family members said the man entered through a door that had been left open for ventilation and did not immediately announce himself. “He literally just walked in. He was so quiet she didn’t even realise he was there at first,” a relative told The Telegraph. The man allegedly left after being confronted, and was then detained by members of the public.
After the encounter, Ms Augustus went to the Britannia Hotel around 6pm, where she reportedly confronted a security guard attempting to de-escalate the situation. According to court testimony, she returned shortly after with a meat cleaver and began banging it on a metal barrier outside the hotel, shouting profanities, including derogatory remarks about asylum seekers.
She was later arrested at her home.
The Metropolitan Police initially did not take action against the man who entered the flat but confirmed on Friday that he had since been arrested on suspicion of common assault, following CCTV review and witness interviews. He remains in custody.
Police clarified that the alleged assault victim is a hotel security guard, not the man who entered the flat.
The Britannia Hotel has been at the centre of ongoing tensions, hosting both anti-immigration protests and counter-demonstrations in recent weeks after being repurposed by the Home Office for asylum accommodation.
A police spokesperson said: “We are continuing to investigate all aspects of this incident and are working to understand the full circumstances surrounding both the alleged flat intrusion and the events that followed.”