Manchester ‘homeless hero’ Chris Parker robbed terror attack victims and took pics of dead kids minutes after bomb blast
Chris Parker stole a purse belonging to Pauline Healey, the grandmother of 14-year-old Sorrell Leczkowski who was killed in the attack. He later spent the cash in McDonald's.
A HOMELESS man hailed a hero in the aftermath of the Manchester suicide bomb attack looted the victims' bodies and took sickening snaps of dead kids.
Callous Chris Parker, 33, stole a purse belonging to injured Pauline Healey as her 14-year-old grandaughter Sorrell Leczkowski lay dying just yards away.
CCTV footage played to the court showed Parker kneeling over bodies and rifling through bags in the devastating aftermath of the May 22 atrocity that killed 22 people.
Parker had claimed he cradled a dying woman in his arms after the blast and received more than £50,000 from well-wishers for his apparently selfless actions.
But shockingly, it later emerged Parker:
- Stole a debit card and purse from injured gran Pauline as she winced in pain on floor with 15 shrapnel wounds
- Swiped an iPhone 6 from an injured teenage victim before taking snaps of dead bodies
- Rifled through the pockets and bags of dying and injured victims in the foyer
- Then brazenly spent the stolen cash in McDonald's just hours after the attack
- Hailed a hero after claiming to media he had cradled bloodied and dying victims
- Now faces jail after his web of lies unravelled and the shocking truth emerged
Parker showed no emotion as he admitted two counts of theft and one count of fraud on the first day of his trial today at Manchester Crown Court.
Sickening CCTV played to the court shows Parker skulking around bodies in the Arena and kneeling over stricken victims before kicking a bag and looking inside it.
He then takes gruesome photos of dead bodies scattered across the bloodbath foyer surrounded by shrapnel from the bomb.
The shocking footage then shows Parker kneeling over Mrs Healey and prodding her to see if she is alive before he picks up her bag and rummages through it.
Photos found on his phone show bodies strewn around the floor in the foyer, a shirtless man being tended to as he lay seriously injured and a third picture of Mrs Healey with her hand over her face and eyes closed in pain.
The court heard how Parker swiped Mrs Healey's purse from a handbag and tried to use her card in McDonald's minutes after the attack.
The gran had 15 hours of surgery to remove shrapnel from her body and also suffered multiple compound fractures to her arms and legs.
Parker's lawyer John Broadley today said his client was sorry for his "appalling behaviour".
How 'Homeless hero' Chris Parker suffered a fall from grace
Chris Parker was hailed a hero for helping victims after a suicide bomber struck at Manchester Arena, where he and a pal were begging in the foyer.
Seeing bodies strewn across the floor, Chris cradled a dying woman and wrapped a bloodied child in merchandise T-shirts.
Chris said of the horror: “I’m supposed to be a hero but I’m not a hero, just a normal guy, a normal regular guy.
“I ran into that Arena that night because I heard kids screaming. I had no choice.”
Well-wishers raised more than £52,000 for Chris Parker to help get him off the streets and the publicity surrounding his brave actions even led to his estranged mum begging him to get in touch.
But his newfound fame began to unravel when police were shown sickening CCTV footage of him rifling through the pockets and bags of bombing victims.
Parker's arrest sent shockwaves across the shattered community in Manchester who had pulled together after the terror attack.
After his arrest Parker was remanded in custody at HMP Manchester but was unable to leave his cell because of death threats from fellow inmates.
He today admitted theft and fraud as it emerged he had looted victims in the foyer where the devastating bomb was detonated.
Now he faces jail time for his sickening actions.
The three-day trial had been due to start yesterday but was delayed as he couldn't be found.
He was later discovered hiding in the loft of a building in Yorkshire, the court was told.
It emerged today Parker had been on the run for a month after he was bailed to a hostel on the condition he wore an electronic tag.
It is believed he cut the tag off and dumped it in a soup can before failing to appear in court on December 6 - causing a warrant to be issued for his arrest.
Twenty-two people were killed when suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated a device as crowds left an Ariana Grande concert at the arena that night.
Well-wishers raised more than £52,000 for Parker after he said he rushed into the arena to aid victims after the blast.
Parker said at the time: "Everyone was piling out, all happy and everything else.
"As people were coming out of the glass doors I heard a bang and within a split second I saw a white flash, then smoke and then I heard screaming.
"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 to help.
"There was people lying on the floor everywhere."
Speaking two weeks after the attack, he added: "I'm supposed to be a hero but I'm not a hero, just a normal guy, a normal regular guy.
"I ran into that Arena that night because I heard kids screaming. I had no choice."
In the aftermath of the devastating attack, Parker gained worldwide fame and his estranged mum Jessica, who had not seen him for five years, got in touch after seeing him on the news.
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She travelled up to Manchester from Norfolk for the heartwarming reunion, saying: "We were having a chat and he got quite emotional.
“I said ‘Do you want me to come up?’ and he said ‘Yes, I do. I need you mum.’”
“I said ‘I wanted to come up and see you and make sure you are all right.’"
Parker was remanded in custody to be sentenced on January 30.
Trial judge David Hernandez said: ''A custodial sentence is likely in this case. Christopher Parker you have pleaded guilty to the counts on the indictment and the prosecution accept these.
''There with be a report obtained. I am prepared to accede to this request as the court should know more about your background before proceeding to sentence on the 30th Jan.''
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