Love Island Georgia Steel’s ex-boyfriend who ‘conned her out of thousands of pounds’ is sent back to prison
A CONVICTED fraudster accused of conning Love Island star Georgia Steel out of tens of thousands of pounds is back in prison, Sun Online can reveal.
Medi Abalimba, 30, dated reality TV star Georgia, 21, but they split in April – when she said she was swindled out of a “huge sum of money”.
Speaking at the time, Georgia said she feared her ex-lover was to blame after her bank account was raided, leaving her “too terrified to sleep."
It came after Sun Online revealed failed footballer Abalimba was a conman jailed for four years in 2014 after masquerading as Chelsea star Gael Kakuta to fund a luxury lifestyle of champagne, women and fast cars.
And Abalimba is now back behind bars again - just months after claiming “I've turned my back” on prison.
CONMAN ROMANCE
Speaking after splitting from the swindler in April, Georgia believed she had been duped by Abalimba, who she met in a nighclub before a whirlwind six-week romance.
Georgia said: “I went on my online banking and I noticed a drastic amount had just gone.
“I was in my flat and I’ve never been in a situation like that in my life. I was physically sick. I sat on my sofa and thought I was going to faint.”
She added: “I feel like this is going to affect me for life. Looking back I feel stupid, but at the time it’s like being hypnotised.”
Abalimba had earned up to £4,000-a-week playing football for Derby County.
But his career bombed when he got injured and he took up a part-time job at a taxi firm.
In 2014, he was caged after breaking into lockers at a private health club to steal credit card details before splurging on designer clothes and five-star hotels.
The fraudster took four girls from Manchester on a £1,100 helicopter tour over London before having them stay with him at an £800-a-night rented mansion in Berkshire.
He would call venues in advance pretending to be Kakuta's agent and warned them the footballer would be arriving.
The criminal then used the credit cards to rack up bar tabs worth thousands of pounds - tricking staff with snaps of him posed up with Premier League stars.
What Abalimba spent some of the stolen money on
- £25,000 bar tab on Cristal champagne in London club
- £5,000 at Manchester bar
- £11,000 on limousines
- £1,100 helicopter tour
- £800-a-night rented mansion in Berkshire
- £4,633 bill at a spa
- £2,397 to hire a Range Rover
- £2,600 on champagne at a Manchester club
- £8,000 at Gilgamesh with 20 pals
- £7,000 at the Corinthia hotel
- £3,000 at Mandarin
- £2,000 at Millennium Hotel
- £1,400 at Bulgari Hotel
But his lies unravelled when he was caught trying to buy clothing worth more than £20,000 from Selfridge's at the Trafford Centre near Manchester.
Cops arrested him and he admitted breaking into lockers at a sports club in Camden using master keys before taking pictures of credit card details.
The full extent of his spending was revealed - with huge bills during hotel stays, including £7,000 at the Corinthia hotel, £3,000 at Mandarin, £2,000 at Millennium Hotel and £1,400 at Bulgari Hotel.
He also used another woman’s credit cards to rack up a £4,633 bill at a spa and to hire a Range Rover.
Last month, he was arrested by Met Police on suspicion of fraud as he partied in an exclusive Mayfair nightclub.
Most people who go to prison are in and out all the time. I've turned my back on all that
Medi Abalimba
Abalimba was hauled away in cuffs after a VIP night at celebrity haunt Kadie’s – beloved by Towie legend Mark Wright and Hollywood star Idris Elba.
A Met Police investigation was later dropped.
Speaking to Sun Online in April after his cover had been blown, Abalmba said: "I want to get on with my life. The last time I was convicted was in 2014.
"Most people who go to prison are in and out all the time. I've turned my back on all that.
"Of course I'll apologise to Georgia. I'll apologise to her family, her fans.”
But the lag has been recalled to jail after breaching the licence conditions of his release.
MOST READ IN NEWS
Sun Online understands he was staying in premises which breached the terms of the licence.
A Probation Service spokesman said: “Medi Abalimba has been returned to custody.
“Offenders on licence are subject to strict conditions and can be returned to prison if they fail to comply.”
