A serial conman has admitted to pretending his family died in the
Grenfell Tower fire to get £12,500 from the victim relief fund.
Anh Nhu Nguyen, 52, even shook Prince Charles' hand as the royal
met with victims, with the man having claimed he had lost his wife and
son in the fatal blaze.
Southwark Crown Court today heard Nguyen pleaded guilty, having
posed as a victim for nearly two weeks in the aftermath of the horrific
fire while being put up in a Holiday Inn.
At least 80 people are believed to have died in the blaze at the Kensington tower block on June 14.
But callous Nguyen attempted to capitalise on the tragedy himself,
claiming that he had been in a flat destroyed in the fire - despite
really living in Beckenham, on the other side of London, at the time.
He even gave interviews with the media, recounting the moment he supposedly tried to escape the blaze.
In an interview with Sky News, Nguyen spoke of becoming separated
from his family on the smoke-filled stairwell but had been told by fire
fighters he could not go back for them.
He described cutting up towels and wetting them to cover his face
before waking his wife and 12-year-old son and leading the way out of
the flat 17.
He told Sky: "The smoke was like fog. You couldn't see anything, it was very hot."
Nguyen also described climbing over dead bodies to escape, saying: "I'm sad, I'm angry, I cry. It's terrible for everyone who lost family that day."
Having said he lived on the 15th floor of the block for 20 years,
the court heard that Nguyen's claims were distressing for the genuine
family who had lived in the flat.
Prosecutor Jonathan Polnay told the court: "The occupant of the
flat did die in the fire, and his son has been distressed in having to
provide a witness statement and that someone would claim what has been
claimed."
Wearing a grey prison jumper and tracksuit bottoms, Nguyen appeared
in custody at Southwark Crown Court today where he finally admitted two
counts of fraud and one of falsely claiming he lost his passport in the
fire to apply for a new one.
Judge Philip Bartle, QC, slammed Nguyen's offences as "despicable", saying: "This
is an offence of fraud, but as I say, has a contemptible element to it;
trying to succeed in achieving money out of the misery and tragedy of
people who, unlike this defendant if he pleads guilty, genuinely
suffered by this terrible fire."
The court heard that Vietnam-born Nguyen has an "appalling"
criminal record containing 28 convictions for 56 offences committed
between 1983 and 2015, a number of those for dishonesty.
He has previously been jailed for theft, as well as previously having been put behind bars for harassment.
DC James Tauber, the investigating officer, said: "Nguyen’s
fraud was designed to make sure he profited from the support intended
for the true victims of the tragic Grenfell Tower fire.
"He went to great lengths to fabricate an elaborate story about his escape from the tower."
Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Bonner said: “The distress
and suffering caused to so many that night in June is harrowing. People
lost their homes, all their possessions and tragically their families
and loved ones.
"Not only did Nguyen take money, housing and clothing intended
for genuine victims, he diverted police time and resources away from
those who most needed it.
"We will investigate anyone who we think is fraudulently profiting from the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower."
Nguyen will be sentenced on December 15 after pre-sentence and psychiatric reports have been prepared.
***
Via The Sun UK
No comments: