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WOMAN WHO INVENTED FAKE HUSBAND IN GRENFELL FIRE TRAGEDY CONVICTED OF FRAUD
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
GRENFELL TOWER
A woman who created a fictional husband and sister-in-law who she claimed lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower fire was found guilty of three counts of fraud and one count of possession of ID document with improper intention.
Joyce Msokeri (46) of Ambleside Gardens, Sutton pretended to be a resident of the Grenfell Tower fire, providing a very detailed account of how her husband had gone to help his sister who was staying on another floor within the tower. She claimed that her husband had given her a wet towel to shield her face and directed her to leave the building and get to safety.
Msokeri stated that she did not see her husband or sister-in-law again and claimed financial support after saying she had lost all her property during the fire. She was provided with emergency funds and hotel accommodation.
Detectives from the Metroplitan Police investigating Msokeri’s case found a string of inconsistencies in her story. Telephone records obtained showed that she could not have been in or near the Grenfell Tower
at the time of the fire. In addition, officers traced Msokeri’s actual address to Sutton where Msokeri was living at the time of the fire and it was also established that she was not currently married and so does not have a husband or sister-in-law.
She was arrested by officers on suspicion of fraud and later charged on September 4th, 2017.
DC Ismail Mattar, the investigating officer, said: “Msokeri’s actions in the aftermath of this horrific event are inexcusable. She claimed falsely that she had lost relatives to make sure she profited from the support intended for the true victims of the tragic Grenfell Tower fire. She went to great lengths to fabricate an elaborate story about her escape from the tower. “Not only did Msokeri take money, housing and clothing intended for genuine victims, she diverted police resources away from those who most needed it,” added Detective Chief Superintendent Matt Bonner.
Msokeri appeared on March 15th at Southwark Crown Court where she was found guilty to three counts of fraud
contrary to sections 1 and 2 of the Fraud Act 2006 and one count of possession of an identity document with improper intention, contrary to section 4 (1) and (2) of the Identity Documents Act 2010.
She was sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday, April 6th to four-and-a-half years in jail for fraudulently claiming a total of €21,800 in compensation.
AUSTRALIA BUSHFIRE LASTING TWO DAYS DESTROYS 69 HOMES
TATHRA BUSHFIRE
JOYCE MSOKERI
The massive blaze is believed to have been sparked by lightning, fanned by dry, hot winds as temperatures rose to great heights.
A devastating bushfire in New South Wales, Australia, lasting from March 19th to 20th, destroyed 69 homes and damaged an additional 39 areas of residency according to the state’s rural fire services.
“Initial damage assessment of #Tathra bushfire complete. 69 houses destroyed, 39 damaged. 398 saved or untouched. 30 caravans or cabins have been destroyed,” said the New South Wales Rural Fire Services on Twitter.
Despite the damage, authorities said there were no reports of serious injuries or deaths as the town was evacuated. A blaze spanning more than 2,000 acres of land, beginning southeast of Bega, advanced
towards the coastal town of Tathra, 450km south of Sydney. Many residents of the town fled to the beach to avoid the flames, as the temperature rose to 41 degrees Celsius (106 Farenheit), as reported by Reuters.
"It was an absolutely awful set of circumstances yesterday afternoon for the community of Tathra, dominated by this very hot, dry air and these very strong winds," NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons told Sky News Australia. "We saw literally hundreds of ember showers landing in and around the community of Tathra, burning in- between the streets."
SMOKE FROM FIRES ENGULFING THE VILLAGE OF TATHRA ON THE SOUTH COAST OF NEW SOUTH WALES
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