Bailed Grenfell fraud suspect ‘continued claiming handouts’

A WOMAN accused of pretending to be a victim of the Grenfell Tower disaster continued to claim handouts while on bail, a court has heard.

Joyce Msokeri, 46, faces five counts of fraud and one of possessing false identity documents relating to the fire that killed 71 people in Kensington, west London, June 14.

Msokeri is accused of telling the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) and various charities that she was living in flat 142 when the tragedy struck.

The Zimbabwean national was put up at a Hilton hotel and supplied with free clothing, footwear and electronic devices as a result, it is said.

She allegedly created bogus documents to dupe officials into believing she was married to Juna Hanlon and had lived with him at Grenfell Tower from February until June 14, when the fire occurred. Mskokeri was arrested and interviewed after allegedly making false statements to RBKC between June 14 and 29.

Prosecutors say she helped herself to more donations by making false statements to HMRC, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and St Charles Hospital while on police bail between July 30 and Sept 4.

Msokeri is said to have committed the frauds despite being ordered not to enter RBKC as a condition of that bail. She was arrested at the Hilton London Kensington on Sept 4.

Msokeri appeared at Southwark Crown Court yesterday in a wheelchair wearing a black coat, scarf and headdress, but entered no pleas to the charges.

Susan Meek, defending, asked that the matter be given more time for further medical reports to be placed before the court.

Msokeri was remanded in custody ahead of a further case management hearing on Jan 5 2018.