ATTRACTIVE BRENDA FRANCIS MUTILATED HERSELF AND CL

ATTRACTIVE BRENDA FRANCIS MUTILATED HERSELF AND CLAIMED

THOUSANDS OF POUNDS IN CRIMINAL COMPENSATION AFTER TELLING POLICE SHE

HAD BEEN THE VICTIM OF A STRING OF KNIFE ATTACKS, A COURT HEARD TODAY

(TUES).

POLICE EVEN ARRESTED A 21-YEAR-OLD MAN AFTER SHE ALLEGED HE

HAD TWICE MUGGED AND SLASHED HER WITH A KNIFE, INNER LONDON CROWN

COURT WAS TOLD.

BUT AFTER THE 34-YEAR-OLD WOMAN HAD RECEIVED #3,500 FROM THE

CRIMINAL INJURIES COMPENSATION BOARD FOR BEING THE VICTIM OF SIX

KNIFE ATTACKS, POLICE GREW SUSPICIOUS, THE COUHEARD.

OFFICERS PICKED UP THE SUSPECT AFTER MISS FRANCIS GAVE A

DESCRIPTION OF ONE OF HER ATTACKERS, SAID MR DAVID PAGET,

PROSECECUTING.

‘THE DESCRIPTION FITTED A YOUNG MAN WHO LIVED ON THE SAME

ESTATE CALLED GARY ABORO.

AS A RESULT OF THIS DESCRIPTION HE WAS

ARRESTED, AND SPENT THREE MONTHS IN CUSTODY AWAITING TRIAL,’ HE

ADDED.

THE COURT HEARD THAT THE PATTERN OF ALLEGED ATTACKS ON THE

PECKHAM ESTATE WHERE MISS FRANCIS LIVED CONTINUED AFTER ABORO WAS

ARRESTED.

AND POLICE GREW SO WORRIED BY FRANCIS’ CLAIMS OF AN ANNOYMOUS

ATTACKER SHE WAS GIVEN POLICE PROTECTION.

BUT FRANCIS, WHO NOW LIVES AT GROSVENOR TERRACE, CAMBERWELL,

WAS RUMBLED WHEN TWO POLICE OFFICERS WERE STATIONED AT HER PECKHAM

FLAT ON JUNE 2 LAST YEAR.

‘AT ABOUT 4 AM THE TWO OFFICERS HEARD THE SOUND OF BREAKING

GLASS AND IMMEDIATLY ONE OF THEM WENT INTO MISS FRANCIS’ BEDROOM.

SHE

WAS FOUND IN BED WITH CUTS ON HER BACK WHICH WERE OBVIOUSLY VERY

RECENT AND HER BEDROOM WINDOW HAD APPARENTLY BEEN SMASHED BY A

SPANNER,’ MR PAGET TOLD THE COURT.

‘SHE CLAIMED THAT AN INTRUDER HAD GOT IN AND SHE HAD WOKEN
TO FIND SOMEONE CUTTING HER BACK.

‘ HE ADDED.

BUT SUSPICION WAS AROUSED WHEN AN OFFICER NOTICED TWO OPEN
PEN KNIVES ON THE DRESSING TABLE.

AND ALTHOUGH THE TWO MEN WERE
IN THE NEXT DOOR ROOM THEY HEARD NO SIGNS OF AN INTRUDER, IT WAS
CLAIMED.

SHORTLY AFTER THE INCIDENT FRANCIS WAS ALLEGED TO HAVE ADMITTED

BOTH INFLICTING THE INJURIES HERSELF AND MAKING A FALSE CLAIM OF

ATTACK ON A PREVIOUS OCCASION.

BUT AFTER TELLING POLICE ‘A STRANGE VOICE INSIDE HER HEAD’

TOLD HER TO INFLICT THE WOUNDS ON HERSELF, SHE RETRACTED THE

ADMISSION.

DR IAIN WEST, OF GUY’S HOSPITAL, TOLD POLICE FRANCIS’ INJURIES

WERE ‘TYPICAL OF SELF-INFLICATED WOUNDS.

‘

FRANCIS DENIES SIX CHARGES OF OBTAINING AND ATTEMPTING TO

OBTAIN PROPERTY BY DECEPTION FROM THE CRIMINAL INJURIES COMPENSATION

BOARD BETWEEN DECEMBER, 1981, AND APRIL LAST YEAR.

IN RELATION TO THE ALLEGATION MADE AGAINST MR ABORO, SHE FACES A

CHARGE OF PERJURY AND TWO CHARGES OF INTENDING TO PERVERT THE COURSE

OF PUBLIC JUSTICE.

THE TRIAL CONTINUES.

ENDS