AN Irish woman and her partner have denied falsely claiming almost £50,000 intended for survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy.
Carmel Daly, 49, and Robert Kenneally, 51, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday accused of claiming a total of £47,802 in accommodation, goods and services.
The couple, both of Warwick Lane, West Kensington in west London, each denied one count of fraud between June 14 2017 and August 23 2018, according to RTÉ News.
Ms Daly used a walking stick and said she was Irish when asked for her nationality, while her partner Mr Kenneally said he was English.
In a separate case, 37-year-old Daniel Steventon of Brondesbury Villas, Kilburn in north-west London, denied claiming £74,225 also meant for Grenfell survivors between August 16 2017 and May 4 2018.
All three defendants sat together in the dock and spoke only to confirm their names, addresses, dates of birth and nationalities – with Mr Steventon telling District Judge Michael Snow he was British.
72 people died in the Grenfell Tower fire on on June 14, 2017 (Image: Getty)The judge bailed all three of the defendants to appear next at Isleworth Crown Court on June 18.
David Davies, prosecuting, said it was likely their cases would be linked.
Some 72 people died at Grenfell Tower when the west London tower block caught fire on June 14, 2017.
The blaze began on the fourth floor before spreading upwards throughout the 24-storey building in the early hours of the morning.
Last September, Kensington and Chelsea council employee Jenny McDonagh was jailed for five-and-a-half years after stealing £62,000 meant for Grenfell victims.
McDonagh, who began working for the council’s Grenfell Tower finance team in October 2017, stole five pre-paid credit cards intended for survivors and topped them up 17 times via the council's Grenfell Tower fund.
She used the money to fund a luxury lifestyle – including flights abroad, beauty treatments, expensive meals, clothes and days out.
