Grenfell Tower: Woman appears in court accused of fraud

Nura Abdulkader (left) and Rawda Said (right) also appeared in court with Salma Said

A woman has appeared in court accused of falsely claiming she lost her home in the Grenfell Tower fire, in a series of alleged frauds totalling £389,500.

Salma Said, 48, from Kensington in west London, allegedly lied about being a resident of the high-rise block, where a fire killed 72 people in June 2017.

She appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court charged with six counts of fraud between 2014 and 2018.

Four other defendants appeared alongside her.

Rawda Said, 35, and Makrem Harzi, 38, both from Kensington, are accused of assisting an offender by providing statements supporting Ms Said.

Nura Abdulkader, 40, from Hackney, faces one count of fraud for allegedly lying about living in Grenfell Tower in order to gain "housing and financial support".

A fifth defendant, 62-year-old William Inglebright, from Kensington, is charged with one count of fraud for allegedly claiming to meet the relevant criteria for the Help to Buy scheme in Barnet in May 2017, in order to be granted an equity loan.

Ms Said is also accused of making a dishonest claim relating to a Right to Buy housing scheme in Barnet, in September 2017.

All five defendants indicated their intention to plead not guilty.

They were released on bail and are expected to appear at Isleworth Crown Court on 27 March.

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