‘Homeless hero’ denies stealing at bomb scene

A ROUGH sleeper hailed a “homeless hero” for helping victims of the Manchester Arena bombing has denied stealing a purse and mobile phone from an injured grandmother at the scene.

Chris Parker, 33, allegedly took the purse of Pauline Healey as her granddaughter Sorrell Leczkowski, 14, lay dying yards away.

He is also accused of taking a phone belonging to a teenager, who cannot be named because of her age.

Parker, now of Halifax, West Yorks, received global acclaim as he described the scene and tended to the injured in May when 22 victims died in the atrocity.

He told how he had cradled a dying woman in his arms.

He appeared at Manchester Crown Court yesterday where he pleaded not guilty to two counts of theft and two counts of attempted theft.

The court heard that Mrs Healey’s purse was taken from a handbag as she lay stricken on the ground.

The court was also told of the alleged phone theft and bid to steal a bag and a coat belonging to unknown persons. Judge Hilary Manley bailed Parker until October 16 for a hearing before a three-day trial scheduled to begin on January 2.