More than 20 people were killed in the May 2017 attack that followed an Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena.
The 33-year-old homeless man who was hailed a hero after helping victims in the aftermath of the Manchester Arena terrorist attack last year has admitted to stealing from them.
Chris Parker appeared in a Manchester, England, court Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to stealing from the victims. He admitted to two counts of theft and one count of fraud.
Surveillance footage captured Parker stealing the purse of one victim, Pauline Healy, who was seriously injured in the May attack that followed an Ariana Grande concert. Healy lost her teenage granddaughter in the attack, and Parker can be seen going through her bag as her granddaughter lay dying.
Parker also admitted to using Healy’s bank card at a Manchester McDonald’s after the attack, and stealing the cell phone of a teenager who was caught in the melee.
He faced eight other counts of theft and fraud that were later dropped. Prosecuting attorney Louise Brandon said in court that because Parker "admitted stealing items belonging to victims" and using Healy’s bank card, they would not "seek a trial on the remaining counts.”
Parker will be sentenced on Jan. 30. He has been told to expect a prison sentence.
“A custodial sentence is most likely in this case,” Judge David Hernandez said.
Parker was due in court Tuesday but failed to show up to Manchester Crown Court. He was found by police early Wednesday morning hiding in an apartment in Halifax, England, which is located 32 miles northeast of Manchester.
In the wake of the Manchester Arena bombing, which killed 22 people and injured many more after a suicide bomber struck, Parker was hailed a hero for helping some of the victims.
Parker was in the foyer of the arena, where he sometimes goes to beg for money as concerts let out, when the devastating blast rocked the area.
Though the explosion sent him flying, Parker said he quickly jumped back up and tried to assist victims.
“My gut instinct was to run back and try and help,” Parker told The Sun at the time.
He tended to the wounded and tried to comfort those who were beyond saving, telling the newspaper of one woman who passed away in his arms.
“She was in her 60s and said she had been with her family,” Parker said. ”I haven’t stopped crying.”
Parker was not the only homeless person who tended to victims, Stephen Jones, 35, helped the injured by pulling nails out of their bodies and carrying them to safety.
As news of their heroism spread, fundraising sites were created to help improve their lives were quickly created. More than $67,000 was raised for the two men.
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