Can the Find my iPhone activation lock be switched off after iCloud account has been deleted?

[iMore Question]

can findmyiphone activation lock be switched off after icloud account has been deleted?

I have a bought a second hand iPhone 4s with the findmyiphone still activated, contacted the previous owner who said account has been deleted and cant log on anymore, is the phone now completely useless?

 

[kch50428]

Re: can findmyiphone activation lock be switched off after icloud account has been deleted?

Find My iPhone Activation Lock: Removing a device from a previous owner’s account - Apple Support