Man kept flatmate's dead body in freezer for two years

The offence is believed to have taken place when the pair lived in a flat in Birmingham city centre

A man has admitted keeping his former flatmate's body in a freezer for nearly two years but denied using his bank card to obtain cash.

John Wainwright, 71, died in September 2018 and was discovered in August 2020.

Damion Johnson pleaded guilty at Derby Crown Court to keeping the body in the freezer of a property in Birmingham.

The offence is believed to have taken place when the pair lived in a flat in the city centre. Mr Wainwright's cause of death is yet to be ascertained.

The pair had lived together in Cleveland Tower, Holywell Head.

Johnson, of Sun Street, Derby, admitted one count of preventing the lawful and decent burial of a dead body between 1 September 2018 and 22 August 2020.

But the 52-year-old denied three counts of fraud by false representation concerning using Mr Wainwright's bank card to withdraw money from cash machines, pay for goods and transfer money to his own account between 23 September 2018 and 7 May 2020.

Johnson is due to face a trial on 7 November and remains on bail.