Chris Parker (pictured) had been sleeping rough near the arena that night and stole a mobile phone and a purse
A homeless man who was jailed for stealing from dying victims of the Manchester Arena bombing is being hunted by police after breaching his licence conditions.
Chris Parker, 35, was hailed a hero after the atrocity after he claimed he ran inside the venue to help the wounded immediately after the bomb blast.
Strangers donated more than £50,000 to get him off the streets – but CCTV recovered by police revealed the grim reality: that Parker was a heartless thief who stole from the stricken and desperate.
He wandered around the foyer area of the Arena amid the dying and injured and looked through their bags.
In January 2018 he admitted stealing a purse belonging to Pauline Healey, whose 14-year-old granddaughter Sorrell Leczkowski was killed in the atrocity.
He also stole an iPhone from a teenager – who cannot be named for legal reasons – and took photos of the wounded.
Prosecutors said that Parker did provide ‘some limited assistance’ to the injured, but Manchester Crown Court heard he ‘equally’ took the opportunity to steal from people.
As well as admitting two counts of theft, he also pleaded guilty to one count of fraud, after using Mrs Healey’s stolen bank card in a McDonald’s in Manchester between May 23 and May 26 – days after the attack that claimed the lives of 22 people.
Strangers donated more than £50,000 to get him off the streets – but CCTV recovered by police revealed the grim reality: that Parker was a heartless thief who stole from the stricken and desperate
More than £50,000 was raised after a GoFundMe page was set up for Parker following the attack
Following his appearance in court, the GoFundMe page was shut down and the thousands of people who donated were able to request a refund.
Parker was sentenced later that month to four years and three months behind bars.
It is not clear exactly when he was released from prison, however GMP has confirmed the now 35-year-old is wanted by police.
A spokesman for the force said: ‘We can confirm Parker breached his licence conditions and is wanted on recall to prison.’
Anyone who sees Parker or knows of his whereabouts is asked to contact police on 101.
Parker was reunited with his mother Jessica (pictured) after his story went around the world following the attack
The attack in May 2017 (pictured) killed 22 innocent people and left more than 400 injured
Chris Parker (pictured) spoke just days after the attack and said that was just a ‘regular guy’