David Schwimmer lookalike who became worldwide sensation because of his resemblance to Friends star is to face trial on fraud and theft offences
- David Schwimmer ‘lookalike’ will face trial later this month accused of theft
- Abdulah Husseini pleaded not guilty to a charge of a wallet theft in Blackpool
- The 36-year-old, originally from Tehran, also denied using a stolen Halifax card
Abdulah Husseini (pictured) denied charges of stealing a wallet from a Blackpool restaurant and attempting to use a stolen Halifax card five times in court this year
A man dubbed a ‘lookalike’ of David Schwimmer will face trial later this month accused of a string of fraud and theft offences.
Abdulah Husseini, 36, pleaded not guilty to a charge of stealing a wallet from a Blackpool restaurant and five charges of using or attempting to use a stolen Halifax bank card on 17 occasions when he appeared in Preston Crown Court in February this year.
The case made headlines when he was likened to the Friends’ star and his character Ross Geller after police released a CCTV image of the man holding a crate of beer in a supermarket.
It prompted Schwimmer, 52, to tweet a parody video with the words: ‘Officers, I swear it wasn’t me.’
Husseini, originally from Tehran, was arrested after Blackpool police launched an appeal for information following the theft of a wallet in Mr Basrai’s restaurant in the town on 20 September.
He denied one charge of theft at a hearing at Preston Crown Court in February.
He also denied five fraud charges of allegedly using or attempting to use a stolen Halifax bank card on 17 occasions in shops between 20 September and 5 November last year.
A brief administrative hearing was held at the same court on Thursday and he’s due to face trial at South Cumbria Magistrates Court on 15 July.
Footage of the man carrying a crate of beer (left) became an internet sensation because of his resemblance to Friends character Ross Geller, prompting David Schwimmer, who played the character, to pose (right) and tweet at Blackpool police
The case made headlines around the world in October after social media users joked that he suspect looked like ‘Ross from Friends’ – with some even quoting the character’s most memorable lines from the US sitcom.
Schwimmer then posted a video to his Twitter account that showed him scurrying through a convenience store while holding a crate of beer and looking up shiftily at CCTV camera.
‘Officers, I swear it wasn’t me. As you can see, I was in New York,’ he also tweeted.
‘To the hardworking Blackpool Police, good luck with the investigation.#itwasntme.’
Hearing the case in February Judge Beverley Lunt said: ‘Is this the Ross from Friends case?’
Joe Allman, prosecuting, replied: ‘It is the one with the doppleganger your honour’.
The defendant, from Slough, who had shaved his head, wore grey tracksuit bottoms and a blue shirt when he appeared in court.