Man, 53, who kept a pensioner’s body in his freezer for almost two years pleads guilty to using his bank cards
- Damion Johnson has admitted using money belonging to John Wainwright, 71
- Mr Wainwright died in 2018 but his body was not discovered until 2020
A man who kept a pensioner’s body in his freezer for almost two years has pleaded guilty to using his bank cards.
Damion Johnson, 53, pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud when he appeared on bail at Derby Crown Court on Thursday.
He had originally denied charges of using money belonging to John Wainwright, 71, in a hearing on May 3.
Mr Wainwright died in 2018 but his body was not discovered until 2020.
Johnson previously admitted keeping his elderly flatmate’s body in the freezer for almost two years.
Damion Johnson (pictured in May), 53, has admitted keeping John Wainwright’s body in his freezers for almost two years and using his bank cards
Johnson, 53, pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud when he appeared on bail at Derby Crown Court
The offences are alleged to have taken place when Mr Wainwright and Johnson were living in a flat in Birmingham city centre.
It is understood that Mr Wainwright’s cause of death is as yet unknown.
At May’s hearing an initial trial date was set to November 7, but his guilty plea to the fraud charges means that date has now been cancelled.
Johnson has now admitted using Mr Wainwright’s card to withdraw money from cash machines, paying for goods and to transfer money into his own account.
Judge Shaun Smith KC adjourned the sentencing until October 27 and remanded Johnson into custody at his own request.
The judge said: ‘You have now pleaded guilty to everything so we don’t have to have a trial now so a couple of weeks before it was going to happen I will sentence you and what I am going to do is ask for a pre-sentence report.
‘Just because I am asking for a report that does not mean I am not going to send you to prison.’
Johnson was wearing a green and black checked shirt over a white t-shirt for his appearance in court.
The offences he has now pleaded guilty to are preventing the lawful and decent burial of a body – as well as three counts of fraud.
Johnson had previously admitted preventing the lawful and decent burial of John Wainwright, 71
He has now admitted using money belonging to the victim to withdraw cash and pay for goods
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