UK Shocker: Man Kept Pensioner’s Body in Freezer For Two Years And ‘Used His Bank Account To Go Shopping and Withdraw Cash’
The accused who has been identified as Damion Johnson pleaded guilty at Derby Crown Court on Tuesday to keeping John Wainwright's body in the freezer of a property in Birmingham but denies using his bank card to obtain cash.
Delhi, May 04: A man in UK hid a pensioner’s body in his freezer for nearly two years while using his bank account to go shopping and withdraw cash, a court heard. The accused who has been identified as Damion Johnson pleaded guilty at Derby Crown Court on Tuesday to keeping John Wainwright's body in the freezer of a property in Birmingham but denies using his bank card to obtain cash.
According to a report in Independent, the 71-year-old Wainwright died in September 2018 and was discovered in August 2020.
The incident allegedly took place when the pair lived in a flat in Cleveland Tower, in Birmingham city centre. However, Wainwright's cause of death is yet to be established. UK Shocker: Lancaster Man Gets Trapped Inside Cave at Kong Adventure in Keswick, Sucumbs To 'Crush Injuries' Days Later; Investigation Underway.
Johnson, who lives in Derby, admitted one count of preventing the lawful and decent burial of a dead body between 1 September 2018 and 22 August 2020. UK Shocker: Man Raped Woman Twice on Same Tube Train in London, Court Informed; Accused Says 'Arrested for Matters I Have Not Committed'.
The 52-year-old has however denied three counts of fraud by false representation concerning using 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.
When judge Shaun Smith KC asked what Johnson's defence will be, Raglan Ashton, mitigating, said that “He says he was not acting dishonestly, namely that he maintains that he was entitled to the funds in Mr Wainwright's account.
"The arrangement was that monies would be paid jointly into Mr Wainwright's account, so essentially he maintains that it was his funds in Mr Wainwright's account and in short he was entitled to them."
Johnson is currently on bail and will face trial on November 7.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 04, 2023 09:20 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).