Conman who lied about family's tower block death jailed for 21 months
A British man has been jailed for nearly two years after pretending to have lost family members in the Grenfell tower block fire.
Anh Nhu Nguyen said his wife and son were killed in the disaster and claimed lb12,500 (EUR14,000) from a fund intended for victims.
He was also provided with emergency hotel accommodation.
Police said Nguyenprovided officers with a very detailed account of how he lost sight of his wife and son as they tried to leave Grenfell Tower when the fire broke out in June 2017.
He said he had been taken to St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, West London, where he was treated for smoke inhalation.
But hospital checks showed he had never been there.
James Tauber, the police officer who investigated the case, said: "Nguyen's fraud was designed to make sure he profited from the support intended for the true victims of the tragic Grenfell Tower fire.
"He went to great lengths to fabricate an elaborate story about his escape from the tower."