Wednesday, December 17, 2025 - A man described as Britain’s most prolific romance fraudster has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term after tricking several women he met online into handing over huge sums of money.
Nigel Baker, 56, targeted women through dating apps,
convincing five single mothers to take out loans, sell property and drain
savings to fund what he claimed was a betting business. In reality, prosecutors
said the money was used to fuel his gambling habit.
Baker was jailed for 17 years, a sentence believed to be the
longest ever imposed in the UK for romance fraud. The court heard that the
total losses ran well beyond one million pounds.
One of his victims, a police officer who handed over almost
eighty thousand pounds, described the emotional damage caused by the deception.
“[Nigel Baker] is a dangerous predator who has no morals or
regard for anyone,” she told the court. “The realisation has left me feeling
violated in a way that is difficult to put into words. The knowledge that he
touched me makes my skin crawl. What I thought was love and connection was
manipulation and deceit for financial gain.”
During the trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court, prosecutors
explained that Baker presented himself as an online bookie rather than a
gambler, assuring the women there was “zero risk” to their money. He promised
that profits from betting would secure a shared future together, including
marriage.
Instead, he placed bets online after receiving the funds.
The court heard that his victims included businesswomen, accountants and police
officers, many of whom were financially stable before encountering him.
Another victim, an accountant and grandmother in her
sixties, urged the court to impose a harsh sentence.
“[Baker] does not deserve anything more than to be punished
for the pain, suffering and extreme financial losses that he has caused to each
family he destroyed through his lies [and] deception.
“He needs to pay for every life he ruined, for every penny
he took by misrepresenting the true person he was and is. He is a predator, and
predators need to be locked up and the key thrown away.”
She added that the emotional toll on her family had been
overwhelming and said Baker had humiliated her. Another victim took out a two hundred-thousand-pound
bridging loan against the sale of her home. An NHS nurse told the court she
handed over savings meant to pay for her child’s wedding.
The court also heard that Baker frequently demanded money
for fabricated emergencies, including claims that he could not feed his
children, needed to fix his father’s boiler or pay veterinary bills. In some
cases, he threatened to end relationships if more money was not provided. One
woman said he claimed a London gang would kill him unless she transferred fifty
thousand pounds.
Evidence showed that once victims ran out of funds, Baker
returned to dating apps to find new targets. A Betfair account linked to one
victim recorded losses of nearly four million pounds.
The offences spanned eight years between 2012 and 2020.
Baker was unanimously convicted of 18 counts of fraud by false representation
after a month-long trial.
As he was led away, he muttered “Happy Christmas”, prompting
gasps from victims and their families.
Sentencing him, His Honour Judge Charles Falk described
Baker as a “charlatan” who had “mercilessly and cynically exploited” the trust
of the women.
“You [presented] yourself as a slightly vulnerable and
hurting divorced ex husband, a loving family man with children.
“[You promised] each woman either marriage or permanent
partnership and a shared rosy future.
“You told the women everything they wanted or needed to
hear, each woman perceiving you, gratefully, as their second chance at life
long happiness, when you were merely seeking to exploit them.
“Your purpose was pure financial gain. You didn’t care a jot
for any of them, and you mercilessly and cynically exploited [their] trust.
When they had lost everything or you thought they had lost everything you would
discard them and move on to your next victim. The fault that they lost their
money is entirely at your door and your in depth ability to manipulate human
emotions and the nature of a loving partner.”
In mitigation, Baker’s lawyer cited prison overcrowding, his
gambling addiction, post traumatic stress linked to the 1989 Marchioness
disaster and supportive statements from his children.
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