A healthcare assistant at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, Mira Solmaz, has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for defrauding vulnerable patients. The 33-year-old was convicted of using the bank cards of patients she cared for, spending hundreds of pounds on fraudulent purchases.
Southwark Crown Court heard that Solmaz’s actions were a “grotesque breach of trust,” with prosecuting barrister Vivek D’Cruz describing her behavior as “cruel, cynical, and ruthless.”
Among Solmaz’s victims was Hazel Longhurst, a cancer patient undergoing treatment at the hospital. In 2021, Longhurst was critically ill, with her weight dropping to just over 38kg. It was during her seven-month hospital stay that she became a target for Solmaz.
Longhurst, who had worked as a district nurse in palliative care, was shocked to learn of the fraud, stating, “My whole career has been with helping people and caring for people. I couldn’t believe someone could be in that sort of job with that responsibility and do what she did.”
The first indication of fraud came when Longhurst received text messages about unusual activity on her credit cards, which she initially dismissed. However, it was only when her daughter discovered fraudulent charges, amounting to approximately £1,650, that the family contacted City of London Police, leading to an investigation.
Solmaz’s actions have left the victims, including Longhurst, devastated by the betrayal from someone they trusted in their most vulnerable moments.
