A Tunisian fraudster tearfully begged for mercy before being jailed after assuming another man's identity to claim £160,000 in benefits and compensation for Grenfell Tower victims.

Adam Mejri, 46, walked into an abandoned flat and pretended to be tenant Munir Altaib before illegally sub-letting the property and claiming benefits in his name, Southwark Crown Court heard.

Because the flat was near Grenfell Tower in west London he could claim compensation too and tried to get £5,000 before he was exposed as a fraudster, his trial was told.

Prosecutor Laura Hollingbery said the flat on Hurstway Walk, near Grenfell Tower, was locked up by the local authority in 2018 after police found two illegal immigrants squatting inside.

Mejri then walked into the local neighbourhood management office claiming to be Mr Altaib, who still had active tenancy to the flat despite having left the UK for Tunisia a year before.

Ms Hollingbery said: 'On 1 March 2018, this defendant attended claiming to be Munir Altaib.

'He said he had been in Manchester for the past fortnight and he allowed the two immigrants to stay there.

'Due to the close proximity of Mr Altaib's property to Grenfell Tower, he qualified for compensation in the sum of £5,000 from the fund that had been created to support victims of the fire in 2017.'

Mejri claimed to have lost his passport around the time of the fire and instead provided various documents in Mr Altaib's name.

She added: 'The defendant regularly attended the offices and chased for payment of the compensation, however, due to the concerns over his identity, compensation was never paid.'

Under Mr Altaib's name, he further claimed employment benefits of over £50,000 and housing benefits of some £100,000 while he was illegally subletting the flat for £1,200 per month.

But Ms Hollingbery said: 'He repeatedly avoided attendance at appointments claiming to be physically and mentally unwell and that he was unfit for work.

'When police looked into the defendant's Facebook account, the missed appointments coincided with times when he was in Saudi Arabia.

'On 4 September 2019, the defendant finally attended a Job Centre appointment, by this point he was under police surveillance.'

Mejri was arrested on 4 September 2019 after he filled in a self-certified health condition form and recorded his conditions as depression and schizophrenia.

Several days later the council would discover Mejri's name on the contract at Hurstway Walk after it 'became clear the flat was being sublet'.

But the court heard the real Mr Altaib had tried to inform the council as early as April 2018 that he had left 'Britain a year ago forever', was 'now resident in Tunisia', and that there was 'someone who uses my name and my house for terrorist acts'.

Mejri appeared in the dock today wearing a black T-shirt, speaking to confirm his name and wailing as he buried his head in his hands and urged: 'Please have mercy.'

Passing sentencing, Judge Neil Calver said: 'What you did was a despicable thing, taking advantage of those living and around Grenfell Tower.

'I think you are a malingerer, playing up whatever mental health conditions that suits you.

'I have no doubt had you not been arrested, you would have been successful in your fraud and you had attempted to make a great deal of money.

'These offences show you are a thoroughly dishonest person who preys on the innocence and misfortune of others.'

The fraudster wept as he was jailed for 42 months.

Mejri, of Acton in west London, admitted two counts of welfare fraud and two of fraud by false representation.

He has four previous convictions for 10 offences, most recently in 2016 for three shoplifting offences.

Thousands of fake claims for compensation were made after the Grenfell Tower fire that killed 72 people in June 2017.

Today's conviction follows a joint investigation by the Department for Work and Pensions and Kensington and Chelsea council.

Speaking following the sentencing, the Government's Minister for Transformation Andrew Western said: 'This was a shocking and calculated fraud from a brazen criminal who stole a victim's identity, exploited public support systems, and even tried to profit from the tragedy of Grenfell.

'I want to commend the investigators for their dedication to this complex case.

'This sends a clear message that anyone who seeks to divert money from those who genuinely need it will be found and held accountable.'

Richard Powell, Senior Crown Prosecutor for the CPS, said: 'Mejri’s selfish actions took tens of thousands of pounds away from those who required genuine support and financial help.

'His web of lies and deceit came to a halt following a successful CPS prosecution and he will now face the prospect of having to pay back his illegal proceeds.'