Fraudster jailed for £32k scam over Grenfell

CONMAN GIVEN FIVE-YEAR SENTENCE FOR UNLAWFUL CLAIM

A FRAUDSTER has been jailed after he claimed to be a Grenfell Tower resident and scammed the council of nearly £32,000.

Sheffick Brimer, 50, was convicted of fraud by false representation on Friday March 20, following a trial at Isleworth Crown Court, and was sentenced to five years in prison.

He pretended that he had been living in Grenfell Tower in the run up to the fire in June 2017, along with two residents who sadly died.

On the night of the fire, where 72 people died, he claimed to have been in hospital after being admitted a few weeks earlier for an operation.

However, he was actually in prison during the weeks leading up to the tragic incident and afterwards.

When he was released, Brimer contacted Royal Borough of Chelsea and Kensington Council officials and was given emergency accommodation, paid for by the council, which was intended for displaced residents of the tower block.

He received four-star hotel accommodation, with food, to the value of £31,776 between July 18 2017 and December 11 2017.

An investigation was launched after suspicions were raised following Brimer’s failure to attend voluntary meetings to assess his housing needs.

The flat he said he lived in did also not match the floor number he claimed to live on.

During an interview, Brimer claimed he was provided accommodation as a result of his work with various charitable organisations and claimed he previously stayed in several other flats within the tower.

However, members of the deceased families had never heard of Brimer before and said he was not living with them. Detectives made numerous enquiries with other residents of the tower and not one of them had heard of him.

Det Con Lucy Hall, who led the investigation, said: “Brimer was never a resident of Grenfell Tower and using this tragedy as a way to receive free accommodation and food at the cost of the council is completely despicable and appalling.

“He even had the audacity to complain about his initial accommodation and was moved to a second hotel. Witnesses also said he was rude and aggressive to hotel staff.

“Brimer’s behaviour compounds the upset of individuals who have been traumatized by the Grenfell fire and is disrespectful to the victims who he claimed he was living with.”