Grenfell Tower: Man who filmed effigy burning on bonfire says it was a ‘stupid moment’

A man who filmed a cardboard model of Grenfell Tower burning on a bonfire has told a court it was a “stupid moment”.

The court heard Paul Bussetti sent a “grossly offensive” video on WhatsApp and caused footage of a “menacing character” to be uploaded on YouTube.

Bussetti, 46, from South Norwood, southeast London, wore a grey suit and an open-necked white shirt while he sat in the dock as the footage he filmed was played to Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

On the video laughter can be heard as the model was placed on the bonfire and set alight on 3 November last year.

Philip Stott, prosecuting, said Bussetti had been attending a friend’s bonfire and that about 30 people were there.

He said a number of those at the bonfire had brought guys or effigies, including someone other than the defendant who brought a model with Grenfell Tower written on it.

The model had characters on it, “some inside, some hanging off it as though they were falling”, Mr Stott said.

He added: “Some of these appeared to be black or brown.”

On the video a comment is heard referring to a “ninja”, which Mr Stott said the prosecution believes referred to a figure on the tower which was all in black and wearing a niqab.

The aunt of 12-year-old Jessica Urbano Ramirez, who died in the blaze, branded the footage “revolting”.

In a statement read to the court, Sandra Ruiz said: “The video made a mockery of her death. To see people making a mockery of that is vile.”

She said the footage was likely to have “triggered memories of the fire (for bereaved and survivors) and set them back in their recovery”.

Bussetti voluntarily attended Croydon police station two days after the bonfire.

But by then footage of the incident had been widely shared online and featured on news bulletins.

Bussetti told police he had “no idea” why he had filmed the incident and sent it to two WhatsApp groups, which had a total of around 20 members.

While questioned by police, he said: “One of those stupid moments.”

He said: “It was just sick. There was no purpose. It was just a horrible video.”

Bussetti said he had not intended the video to go viral and that it did not support any agenda.

He said: “Not going to blame it on the drink, I don’t know why I done it but I didn’t think they would broadcast it.

“It was just stupidness really, everyone had a drink but, yeah, it was just complete stupidness.”

Asked how he felt after seeing it, he said “sick, not good, terrible”.

Bussetti had deleted the video from his phone by the time he went to police, but it could be seen on another group member’s phone that he had sent it to.

The blaze claimed the lives of 72 people when it broke out at the west London tower block on 14 June 2017.

Although Bussetti does not dispute filming the footage and sharing it to the two WhatsApp groups, his legal team is disputing that it was “grossly offensive” to send it to the private groups.

His lawyer Mark Summers QC said he did not intend for it to appear on YouTube, where it was uploaded by someone else.

Bussetti denies sending or causing grossly offensive material to be sent via a public communications network. He is due to appear in court again on 22 August.

The trial continues.

(c) Sky News 2019: Grenfell Tower: Man who filmed effigy burning on bonfire says it was a ‘stupid moment’