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Grenfell Tower: Man accused of burning model to face retrial

BBC Grenfell effigyBBC
The model was burned at a bonfire party in south London on 3 November 2018

A father who filmed a cardboard model of Grenfell Tower being burned on a bonfire will face a second trial, the High Court has ruled.

The clip was recorded at a party in south London a year after the fire, which killed 72 people.

Paul Bussetti was cleared of posting the "grossly offensive" video in August 2019, but the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) appealed against the verdict.

In a judgement on Friday, the High Court quashed Mr Bussetti's acquittal.

The clip of the cardboard building, which had "Grenfell Tower" written on it, was recorded at a party attended by about 30 people in south London on 3 November 2018, Westminster Magistrates' Court previously heard.

It was later uploaded to YouTube and sparked outrage, with a relative of one of the people who died in the blaze calling it "revolting".

PA Media Paul BussettiPA Media
During his previous trial Paul Bussetti told the court the incident was a "joke"

Mr Bussetti, of South Norwood, was accused of sending "grossly offensive" material via a public communications network.

He was found not guilty after a two-day trial.

Magistrates said they could not be sure the film was taken by Mr Bussetti after it was revealed a second video from the party had also been shared on WhatsApp.

The then 47-year-old also told magistrates the effigy had been created by his friend and the characters featured on the model were meant to represent "the majority of people that were at the party", not people who died in the disaster.

In his ruling, Lord Justice Bean said that he did not accept Mr Bussetti's argument - that the figures in the bonfire were his friends - as a defence.

He also said the trial judge should have found that the two videos of the bonfire were similar.

Mr Bussetti will face a retrial at Westminster Magistrates' Court in front of a different judge and was also ordered to pay the CPS' costs of £6,095 within 28 days.