A Nigerian woman, Abiola Akinremi, Who is a care home worker has been jailed for seven months in the United Kingdom for stealing almost £20,000 from the savings of vulnerable residents.

Akinremi, 41, wad said to have abused her position as an administrator at the facility in Bostall House in Abbey Wood, Old Bailey, in South East London, And made dozens of unauthorized withdrawls from the bank account of patients. The Old Bailey is a facility that houses mental health residents under the Mental Health Act, and those without family support hand over control of their finances to administrators and carers.

The presiding judge, Angela Rafferty QC said that this was a repeated and planned course of conduct, and a very serious breach of trust of vulnerable people. She sentenced Akinremi to seven months in prison.

Investigations into Akinremi’s fraudulent activities dated back to November 2018 when £43,000 was missing from residents’ bank accounts, including £32,000 from one victim.

Akinremi had denied the allegations until the first day of her trial, insisting that other staff at the home were trying to “pin the blame” on her. She however admitted taking £19,650 over the course of eight months from three residents adding that others at the home were also involved in the wrongdoing.

Akinremi then pleaded guilty to three charges of fraud by abuse of position, while Judge Rafferty rejected a plea for a suspended prison sentence, concluding only an immediate spell behind bars would be appropriate.