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‘Beggar’ with a ‘hungry and homeless’ sign raked in £300 A DAY while living in a £300,000 flat
Daily Mail (UK) ^ | 11:55 EST, 5 June 2013 | Simon Tomlinson

Posted on 06/05/2013 12:54:58 PM PDT by Olog-hai

A “beggar” who claimed he was homeless and hungry for years was earning £50,000-plus ($76,690+) a year and living it up in a £300,000 ($460,140) flat, a court heard.

Simon Wright, 37, sat outside a NatWest bank in his tatty clothes with his sleeping bag, his dog, and a handwritten sign telling of his plight. Generous passers-by took pity on him and regularly gave him £200 ($306.76) to £300 ($460.14) a day. After “work”, he went home to his smart council flat, in Fulham, west London. …

The council’s community safety spokesman, Councillor Jonathan Cook, said: “Anyone who lives, works or shops in and around Putney High Street will be mightily relieved to see this unpleasant individual given his marching orders. He deliberately targeted people making cash withdrawals from this cash point and was extremely aggressive and abusive to anyone who refused to give him money. Many people felt frightened and intimidated by him, and there is some evidence to suggest that he used his dog to threaten and pressure people into handing over their cash.” …

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: fraud; homeless; nothomeless; phonybeggar
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Full Daily Mail title:
‘Beggar’ who sat outside Natwest bank with a ‘hungry and homeless’ sign raked in £300 A DAY while living in a £300,000 flat
How would you punish this?
1 posted on 06/05/2013 12:54:58 PM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: Olog-hai

Make him work.


2 posted on 06/05/2013 12:56:36 PM PDT by SatinDoll (NATURAL BORN CITZEN: BORN IN THE USA OF CITIZEN PARENTS.)
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To: Olog-hai

Happens here more than you know.


3 posted on 06/05/2013 12:57:37 PM PDT by Conspiracy Guy (I voted Republican, no Conservative was on the ballot.)
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To: Olog-hai
Well, let's start by taking him into custody, seizing his assets, charging him with fraud (thousands of counts) and once he gets back out, he can then go back to what he was doing since he will then actually be homeless.

Got a much better idea; how about cutting out the 300k homes, opening up all those spaces to young families who might actually eventually want to get a home, not to mention lowering the costs of rent and housing at the same time since you'll be removing the ‘floor’ that the council has established in rents. Eject everyone. If you feel bad about it, set up a tent city for them, see how long people will actually sit on their duffs and how many will suddenly find the ability to hunt for a job.

4 posted on 06/05/2013 12:59:47 PM PDT by kingu (Everything starts with slashing the size and scope of the federal government.)
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To: Olog-hai

Punish him?

For what, excelling at capitalism?

False Advertising ?

Ability to manage money well ?


5 posted on 06/05/2013 1:00:47 PM PDT by UCANSEE2 (The monsters are due on Maple Street)
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To: Olog-hai

I keep telling folks that over half the ones here do this as their job. They are dropped of in the morning by a “pimp” if you will who gives them a cell phone and picked up in the evening. They split the proceeds. If they can collect more than $64 in an 8 hour day they are making out better than someone making $8/hr after you take out taxes. Homeless my ares.

Ever wonder why you don’t see them on weekends? Are they not homeless then as well. They are off just like you and I are...


6 posted on 06/05/2013 1:01:38 PM PDT by Resolute Conservative
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To: UCANSEE2

Capitalism is working for money, not begging or intimidating others. His outlook is highly communistic.


7 posted on 06/05/2013 1:01:45 PM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: Olog-hai
punish him for what?

Not paying taxes on his income maybe?

8 posted on 06/05/2013 1:02:05 PM PDT by TexasCajun
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To: Olog-hai

probably tax evasion.


9 posted on 06/05/2013 1:02:14 PM PDT by absolootezer0 (2x divorced tattooed pierced harley hatin meghan mccain luvin' REAL beer drinkin' smoker ..what?)
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To: TexasCajun

Fraud is fraud. Legalize fraud and that’s like legalizing communism.


10 posted on 06/05/2013 1:02:47 PM PDT by Olog-hai
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To: Olog-hai

Wasn’t there a Sherlock Holmes story about this?


11 posted on 06/05/2013 1:02:54 PM PDT by Little Ray (How did I end up in this hand-basket, and why is it gettingthe so hot?)
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To: Olog-hai

He deliberately targeted people making cash withdrawals from this cash point and was extremely aggressive and abusive to anyone who refused to give him money. Many people felt frightened and intimidated by him, and there is some evidence to suggest that he used his dog to threaten and pressure people into handing over their cash.” …

OK. Now I see why you asked that question.

Gee... he sounds just like our IRS.


12 posted on 06/05/2013 1:03:43 PM PDT by UCANSEE2 (The monsters are due on Maple Street)
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To: Conspiracy Guy

My daughter in law spent about a year working as a social worker in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district setting up programs for the homeless for the Salvation Army.

She could point out each of the panhandlers along the waterfront and elsewhere who were into 6 figure incomes and who were picked up in Cadillacs at the end of a hard day of begging. These guys would fight to run others out of their “territory”.

Happens a lot more than most realize.


13 posted on 06/05/2013 1:05:04 PM PDT by RJS1950 (The democrats are the "enemies foreign and domestic" cited in the federal oath)
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To: Olog-hai
He had his hand out?

Explain how that is criminal.

14 posted on 06/05/2013 1:05:22 PM PDT by TexasCajun
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To: UCANSEE2

Intimidation, perhaps.


15 posted on 06/05/2013 1:05:32 PM PDT by AppyPappy (Obama: What did I not know and when did I not know it?)
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To: Olog-hai

He was working on his resume to get a government job.


16 posted on 06/05/2013 1:05:38 PM PDT by twhitak
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To: Olog-hai

I won’t give to a person on the street. I will give to an organization that provides services and helps those who want to ease back in to society, to do so.


17 posted on 06/05/2013 1:05:42 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (Funny thing happened on the way to the Constitution burning, Lefties rights were Iviolated...)
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To: Olog-hai

In selected places in Seattle the bums can make up to $1,000 a day. Once they get a few thou they go on a heroin binge and end up at Harborview Medical Center.


18 posted on 06/05/2013 1:06:13 PM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (IÂ’m not a Republican, I'm a Conservative! Pubbies haven't been conservative since before T.R.)
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To: Olog-hai

He's 37??????

19 posted on 06/05/2013 1:07:41 PM PDT by BookmanTheJanitor
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To: Olog-hai

He was defrauding the welfare office if he taking taxpayer money and not reporting his earnings.


20 posted on 06/05/2013 1:07:56 PM PDT by TexasCajun
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