Man given suspended sentence for filming burned Grenfell Tower model

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By Euronews
72 people were killed in the Grenfell Tower fire in London in June 2017.
72 people were killed in the Grenfell Tower fire in London in June 2017.   –   Copyright  AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File

A British man has been given a suspended prison sentence after sharing a video of a burning model of Grenfell Tower.

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The 49-year-old from south London admitted to filming the “grossly offensive” clip and sending it on WhatsApp.

He was given a 10-week suspended sentence by Westminster magistrates court on Wednesday, after initially being found not guilty in 2019.

The viral clip had prompted outrage on social media and was described as “vile” by a relative of one of the 72 victims of the 2017 fire.

In the clip, a cardboard model of the west London tower was set alight at a bonfire night party in November 2018, while people can be heard laughing.

A victim impact statement read out in court on behalf of the Grenfell victims said the overall reaction of the community to the video was one of “shock, horror and outrage.”

Additional sources • DPA

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