Bombing ‘hero’ is accused of theft
CRIME: A man hailed as a “homeless hero” in the wake of the Manchester Arena bombing has appeared in court accused of stealing from a Yorkshire victim. Chris Parker, 33, is alleged to have stolen a purse.
A MAN hailed as a “homeless hero” in the wake of the Manchester Arena bombing has appeared in court accused of stealing from a Yorkshire victim.
Chris Parker, 33, is alleged to have stolen a purse belonging to the grandmother of Sorrell Leczkowski, a 14-year-old girl from Leeds who was killed in the blast.
The Crown alleges that Parker took the purse, containing bank cards, from Pauline Healey’s handbag as she lay stricken on the ground following the attack.
He is also said to have taken the mobile phone of another victim, a teenage girl who cannot be named for legal reasons.
Mrs Healey had attended the Ariana Grande concert at the arena on May 22 with Sorrell and Sorrell’s mother, Samantha.
She later underwent 15 hours of surgery to remove shrapnel from her body and also suffered multiple compound fractures to her arms and legs, while Samantha was also seriously injured.
Parker, who gave his address as Woodlands Road, Crumpsall, Manchester, formally entered not guilty pleas to both charges when he appeared before magistrates yesterday morning.
Prosecutor Ben Southam said it was clear that the defendant had provided “some limited assistance” to people injured but it was the Crown’s case that he “equally” took the opportunity to commit the thefts.
District Judge John Temperley said the case was too serious to be dealt with within his jurisdiction.
He remanded Parker in custody ahead of a hearing at Manchester Crown Court next month.
As Parker was led from the dock, he said: “I have done nothing. Absolutely nothing.”
In the days following the attack, rough sleeper Parker had described witnessing the effects of the blast and tending to those who were injured.
Speaking at the time, he said: “It knocked me to the floor and then I got up and instead of running away, my gut instinct was to run back and try and help.
“There was people lying on the floor everywhere.”
He told how he had wrapped an injured girl in a T-shirt and cradled a dying woman in his arms after Salman Abedi detonated a bomb, killing himself and 22 others.
Among those who died were Leeds Beckett University student Courtney Boyle, 19; Wendy Fawell, 50, from Otley, and Angelika and Marcin Klis, a husband and wife from York.
Also killed was 32-year-old Sheffield woman Kelly Brewster, who is said to have died while shielding her sister and niece.
Sorrell, who was a pupil at Allerton High School, was hoping to become an architect and wanted to study at Columbia University in New York.
On the day of her funeral, her family said: “Sorrell was only 14, but she was our rock, she kept us all grounded. She was such a clever, talented, creative girl, there was nothing she couldn’t do.”
Two online fundraising appeals were set up to support her mother and grandparents, with almost £30,000 being donated by more than 1,300 people.
A collection was also started by staff at a convenience store in Ireland Wood, Leeds.
Their efforts were dealt a blow when the initial funds were stolen from the counter in June, but the team at Costcutter donated generously from their own pockets and hosted a family fun day to get the ball rolling again.
It was announced on Tuesday that the families of the 22 people killed will each receive £250,000 from a public appeal.
The money for the families will come from the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund, which raised a total of £18m.
Instead of running away, my gut instinct was to try and help. Chris Parker, speaking after the Manchester Arenda bombing