An NHS administrator who stole £80,000 from her employer to fund an online relationship with a man in Nigeria has avoided prison.

Hyacinth Blair, 63, from Forest Hill in Lewisham, London, took the money from the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust over an 18-month period between June 2021 and January 2023. She sent the funds to a man named Michael Okafor, who she had met online and entered into a romantic relationship with.

Blair told the court that Okafor had “demanded” the money, pressuring her into sending it and leaving her feeling “helpless,” although she admitted she was aware of the seriousness of her actions. Initially, when questioned by investigators, she claimed she “had no idea” why she had stolen the money before later confessing it was for her online partner.

She pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to fraud by abuse of position. She was sentenced to two years in prison, but the sentence was fully suspended. She must also complete 250 hours of unpaid work, 15 days of rehabilitation activities, and a six-month mental health treatment programme.

Now unemployed and receiving universal credit, Blair was described in court as suffering from depression. Judge Lynn Tayton KC said she had “some prospects of rehabilitation” and noted her mental health difficulties when deciding to suspend the sentence.

The case adds to a growing number of so-called “romance scams” where victims are coerced into sending large sums of money to people they meet online, often under false pretences.

‍

‍