A drug addict involved in a car-sale scam on eBay has been ordered to pay back what she made.

Mother-of-two Latayah Bennett-Hall, of Finch Close, Faversham, appeared before Maidstone magistrates and pleaded guilty to transferring stolen money into her bank account.

The court heard how, in May 2014, the 27-year-old had profited by £700 for allowing the use of her account in an £8,000 fraud.

Mark Kateley, prosecuting, said the scam involved the victim seeing a car for sale on the internet and then contacting the seller who appeared genuine.

“They convince that individual to part with the full amount for the car or a substantial deposit without the victim ever having seen the vehicle. That’s done by bank transfer.

"The victim does not hear anything else and loses all the money they have parted with.”

Bennett-Hall’s account showed an £8,000 payment from the victim, who thought he had agreed a part exchange deal for a Ford Galaxy. She withdrew £7,300, keeping £700.

Mr Kateley said she had admitted she knew it was a crime but had refused to say who the rest of the money had been passed to.

Bennett-Hall had offered to pay back the £700 as part of a conditional caution but failed to do so, prompting her return to court this week.

Sara Haroon, defending, said the crime had been committed when her client had been significantly addicted to heroin.

“She was offered a small amount of money for her bank account to be used. She had no knowledge of the larger fraud.

“Her motivation was to fund her drug problem and she had debts.”

Two months ago, she had self-referred to addiction services provider Turning Point and was making good progress, Miss Haroon said.

The court was told the defendant had grown up in Teynham and was a qualified hairdresser, working on a self-employed basis in Sittingbourne.

She had started using drugs, amphetamines, aged 13, moving on to crack and crack cocaine, and had been recruited for the car-sale scam in a crack house.

The £7,300 went to someone she described as “the big man” but she did not know who that was and she feared the consequences if she identified anyone involved.

Magistrates sentenced her to a 12-month community order and 12 months of supervision, as well as a six-month drug rehabilitation requirement.

She was also ordered to pay £700 in compensation, £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.