BOMB HERO ‘STOLE FROM VICTIMS’
Homeless man accused in court He denies taking purse & phone
A HERO of the suicide bombing in Manchester is accused of stealing from injured victims.
Homeless Chris Parker, 33, allegedly took a purse and phone. He insisted in court: “I’ve done nothing.” CHARGED Chris Parker
JUST three months ago Chris Parker was hailed a hero for rushing to the aid of suicide bomb victims at Manchester Arena.
But yesterday the rough sleeper was in court accused of plundering possessions from two of the seriously injured as they lay helpless on the ground.
He denies stealing from a schoolgirl and grandmother shortly after the horror attack by terrorist Salman Abedi at Ariana Grande’s concert.
As a prison officer took him into custody, Parker, 33, was heard saying: “I’ve done nothing. Absolutely nothing. I was only helping people.”
Parker has been charged with stealing a purse from Pauline Healey. She survived the blast but her granddaughter Sorrell Leczkowski, 14, was killed.
He is also accused of taking a phone from a teenage girl, who also survived but cannot be named because of her age.
Parker listened, occasionally biting his nails, as prosecutor Ben Southam told how the defendant was seen on CCTV entering the arena’s foyer in the wake of the bombing.
Mr Southam said: “You can only imagine what the footage depicts. It is clear he does provide some assistance to some persons. It is the Crown’s case that he has, equally, stolen from two victims. The CCTV footage is particularly clear in relation to Pauline Healey.
“He is seen walking back to where members of her family are lying seriously injured. Her granddaughter died.”
Mrs Healey’s purse contained her bank card, Manchester magistrates court heard.
Parker denied two charges of theft and was remanded in custody to appear at the city’s crown court on September 13.
Well-wishers raised more than £50,000 to help homeless Parker when details emerged of his good deeds after the blast on May 22. His alleged victim Pauline, 63, needed 15 hours of surgery for multiple injuries.
Sorrell, a pupil at Allerton High School, Leeds, was one of 22 killed. The girl’s mum, Samantha, survived.