Council boss stole £62k from victims of Grenfell blaze
FRAUDSTER’S HIGH LIFE
A GRENFELL council chief stole £62,000 from the fire disaster fund and lavished it on herself.
Jenny McDonagh, 39, yesterday admitted fraud and theft. One survivor said: “It’s despicable.”
AS devastated Grenfell Tower survivors struggled to get by in the aftermath of the inferno, the woman assigned to help them was living the high life with their cash aid.
Jenny McDonagh plundered £62,000 and splashed it on luxury holidays abroad, fine dining and online gambling.
The 39-year-old stole pre-paid credit cards while manager of the Grenfell Tower fire fund at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
McDonagh even carried on using them after she was quizzed by police, a court heard yesterday.
After she pleaded guilty to fraud, Yvette Williams of campaign group Justice4Grenfell said: “It’s absolutely despicable people would steal from the finances around the Grenfell situation, and now it is one of the council’s own managers.” Survivor Beinazir Lasharie suffered PTSD and depression following the blaze at the council block in North Kensington, West London, in June last year that killed 72 residents. She said: “I’m shocked, somebody who knows what people have gone through and are going through on a daily basis would do something like that. To take money from such a horrid tragedy, there’s no words for how disgusting it is.” McDonagh is under investigation for two suspected frauds in her previous jobs, at the NHS and the V&A gallery in London. Kensington Labour MP Emma Dent Coad branded her fire fund scam a “major betrayal of trust”. She said: “Are there no background checks for people dealing with council taxpayers’ money and
There are no words for how disgusting it is. I’m shocked BEINAZIR LASHARIE SURVIVOR ON VILE CRIME
donations? How on earth could she use pre-paid cards to the tune of £62,000 without anyone noticing? It makes my blood run cold.”
The pre-paid cards were given to survivors who had no bank accounts. Many were left homeless after the blaze and with no possessions.
Prosecutor Robert Simpson told Westminster magistrates court in Central London McDonagh blew the stolen cash on trips to Dubai, Los Angeles and Reykjavik as well as in top restaurants and online bookies.
She was caught after she made bookings in her own name. Mr Simpson added: “It was unsophisticated. The whole trail leads towards her.”
Survivor Edward Dafforn was given a pre-paid card by mistake, which McDonagh then used herself.
Mr Simpson said: “He wanted payments to be made into his bank account. The defendant continued keeping the top-up card alive and was responsible for it being used.
“In relation to the thefts those were a number of pre-paid cards which she stole and used and then in relation to her bank account some £32,000 of funds went through that.” Referring to the online gambling, he added: “She spent £32,000 of which she had £16,000 winnings.” McDonagh was arrested this month. But Mr Simpson said: “She was bailed on August 1 and continued using those cards on August 3. The fact she had been arrested didn’t stop dead in her tracks.”
The prosecutor told how McDonagh worked for Medway NHS Trust in 2015 where “it’s suggested she obtained about £35,000 by fraud”. That case is being probed by the NHS. McDonagh, of Abbey Wood, South East London admitted fraud, theft and money laundering.
She was bailed and will be sentenced at Isleworth crown court next month. She made no comment yesterday.
Kensington and Chelsea Council said: “We have always taken action to root out Grenfell fraud wherever it takes place.
“On this occasion it was one of our own members of staff. This is both shocking and unforgivable.
“We apologise to the survivors and families for any distress this may cause.”
Council chiefs came under attack for using cheap cladding on Grenfell which allowed the blaze to spread quickly, despite warnings it was a deathtrap. It was only done to make the block more attractive to posh homes nearby.
They were criticised for their handling of the aftermath, where promises of alternative homes never materialised.