One of the illegal immigrants who spent more than £120,000 of tax payers’ money by pretending to be Grenfell Tower victims tried to get his sentencing adjourned because he might have a “learning disability”.
Tommy Brooks, 52, and Elaine Douglas, 51, who have been living in the UK illegally since 2002, racked up massive bills after being granted pre-paid credit cards and stays at the Radisson Blue Edward Hotel.
The devious Jamaican nationals had told the Royal Borough of Kengsinton and Chelsea they lived in a fictitious room on the 19th floor.
The couple were only caught out nearly a year later when investigators found out the flat number was actually on the floor below.
At Isleworth Court today, solicitor Khalid Missouri applied to have sentencing adjourned for Brooks because he has not finished psychological tests.
Mr Missouri said: “This is an invitation to consider whether it would be in our interest to adjourn for Dr Green to complete his assessment of Mr Brooks.
“He states that everything he’s see suggests that Mr Brooks’s cognitive functioning appears to be impaired.”
Mr Missouri said there were “problems with security” at the prison which prevented a full assessment.
He added: “There are still more tests to do to reach a conclusion on his IQ.
“If he’s in the extremely low range that will give Mr Brooks a formal diagnosis of a learning disability.
“The other matter is he has not been able to complete a test on suggestibility.
“This is relevant to how Mr Brooks says he got involved.”
Judge Nicholas Wood rejected the application, saying: “Given the nature of this case, I would be inclined to go ahead with sentencing.
“After an hour’s break I wish to hear the opening and mitigation.”
Brooks will likely be sentenced later today with Douglas, who managed to spend a total of £67,125.35 from her fraud.
The court previously heard she had even complained about the quality of food in the 4-star hotel while she charged the council £267 for room service.
Her 276 night stay at the hotel from July 28 last year until her arrest racked up a bill of more than £55,000 from a fund meant for Grenfell survivors.
Douglas also spent in excess of £11,000 on a pre-paid credit card from the council.
Meanwhile Brooks spent £58,396.89 from the fund after making the same claim to the council.
He spent just under £49,000 during his 243-night hotel and £276 on room service.
He racked charges of more than £9,000 on his pre-paid MasterCard and Oyster cards he fraudulently received from the council.
The pair, of no fixed abode, admitted two counts of fraud by false representation and one of obtaining leave to remain in the UK by deception.