Manchester attack 'hero' in court for theft from victim

LONDON: A homeless man hailed as a hero for coming to the aid of victims of the Manchester Arena terror attack in May was due in court on Wednesday charged with stealing a bank card from one of them.
Chris Parker, 33, was interviewed by British media in the aftermath of the attack in which 22 people were killed, saying he had been begging outside the concert arena when the bomb went off.
A tearful Parker told the Press Association news agency at the time: "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 and help," he said.
"There was people lying on the floor everywhere," he recounted, adding that a woman had died in his arms and had come to the rescue of a little girl whose mother had been killed.
But Greater Manchester Police said Parker "has been charged with two counts of theft".
The charges relate to a bank card belonging to Pauline Healey, who was badly injured in the attack.
Healey's 14-year-old granddaughter was killed in the blast set off by suicide bomber Salman Abedi and her daughter was also seriously injured.
Parker's story had touched hearts amid national mourning following the attack claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group.
A crowd funding campaign for Parker raised more than £50,000 (55,000 euros, US$64,000, RM27,510,4), although the money was never handed over to him.
One donor even offered to home Parker temporarily and the man's estranged mother had contacted her local newspaper following the bombing asking her son to make contact.
The bomb went off just after the end of a concert by US pop star Ariana Grande, a teen and pre-teen favourite.
Manchester Arena producers said on Wednesday they would re-open on September 9 for the first time since the attack with a charity concert that will include Noel Gallagher from the Manchester band Oasis.
James Allen, general manager of the arena, said: "May's events will never be forgotten, but they will not stop us – or Mancunian music fans – from coming together to enjoy live music. — AFP