UK's notorious romance fraudster who blew women’s life savings jailed for 17 years

A man described in court as one of Britain’s most prolific romance fraudsters has been jailed for 17 years after conning divorced single mothers out of almost £1m and gambling their money away.

Nigel Baker, 56, from Romford in Essex, targeted five women he met on dating sites, including Plenty of Fish, by posing as a successful online bookmaker and convincing them their cash would be safely invested.

Instead, the court heard, he fed a serious gambling habit, placing huge bets on platforms such as Betfair and racking up losses of nearly £4m on one account alone.

Sentencing him at Snaresbrook Crown Court, Judge Charles Falk called Baker a “complete charlatan” who had “mercilessly and cynically exploited” his victims over an eight-year period. It is believed to be the longest sentence handed down in the UK for romance fraud.

As he was led from the dock, Baker turned and said “Happy Christmas”, prompting audible gasps from victims and their families in court.

The jury found Baker guilty of 18 counts of fraud by false representation between 2012 and 2020.

During that time he maintained overlapping romantic relationships with the women, who included police officers, businesswomen, an accountant and an NHS nurse.

He painted himself as a loving father and vulnerable divorcé, promising marriage or a shared future if they helped fund what he falsely described as his “betting business”.

Several of the women were persuaded to take out large loans – in some cases up to £200,000 – or even sell their homes, after being told there was “zero risk” and that their money would secure their future together. None of the money was ever repaid.

When they hesitated, Baker used emotional pressure and threats to walk away from the relationship to extract more funds. Once a victim’s resources were exhausted, he would return to dating sites in search of new targets.

In a victim impact statement, a divorced police officer who handed over almost £80,000 said she now felt “ashamed, disgusted and used”.

“[Nigel Baker] is a dangerous predator who has no morals or regard for anyone,” she told the court. “What I thought was love and connection was manipulation and deceit for financial gain.”

Another victim, an accountant in her 60s, described how she took out a £200,000 bridging loan secured against the sale of her home to finance Baker’s betting.

“He humiliated me,” she said. “He needs to pay for every life he ruined and every penny he took by misrepresenting who he really was. He is a predator, and predators need to be locked up and the key thrown away.”

The court also heard that an NHS nurse gave Baker savings earmarked for her child’s wedding, while others were told fabricated stories about gang threats, unpaid vet bills or broken boilers to justify urgent transfers.

Mitigating, Baker’s counsel cited prison overcrowding, his gambling addiction and claimed post-traumatic stress linked to the 1989 Marchioness riverboat disaster, alongside supportive letters from his children.

Judge Falk said Baker was indeed a gambling addict, but “far less successful than you pretended”, and rejected any suggestion that his addiction lessened his responsibility.

“You took all of their money and frittered it away,” the judge said. “You were fully aware they would lose everything and of the emotional and financial devastation you would cause – but you did not care.

“You told each woman exactly what she wanted to hear, presenting yourself as their second chance at lifelong happiness, when your only purpose was pure financial gain. You didn’t care a jot for any of them.”

The court was told more alleged victims have since come forward, with reported losses that would push the total well beyond £1m, although those cases were not part of the trial.