Nigerian man jailed for marrying UK woman to escape deportation
Nigerian man jailed for marrying UK woman to escape deportation
According to a report by Daily Mail UK, a
29 year old Nigerian man named Jayeola Abiola has been jailed for one
year for paying a UK woman, Vania Pinheiro-Fernandes, to be his wife.
The
Hull
University masters student met his portuguese
bride for the first time at their dress rehearsal and he stumbled to
pronounce her name, reports DM. Read the rest of the report below...
Vania Pinheiro-Fernandes bought her
dress, tiara, wedding veil, and flowers from British Home Stores in
Leeds for £245 with the groom watching, Hull Crown Court heard. She had
bought the dress two hours before the ceremony and still had 60 miles to
drive down the M62.
Leeds
law student Ayodeji Abbis, 25, was paid £1,000 to act as the best man.
He was one of six people who turned up for the ceremony.
But the wedding plans turn sour.
Officers of the UK Border Agency had been tipped off by the Hull
Registrar that the couple seemed to barely know each other when they
were interviewed at the rehearsal.
So
Border Agency secretly filmed a wedding video of the cars, groom, bride
and best man arriving outside the grand 19th century council town hall
before arresting them at the door.
Jailing
the bride and groom today at Hull Crown Court Gurdial Singh said: 'It
is often said sham marriages are too prevalent and strike at the heart
of the immigration system.
'Deterrent sentenced are called for and custodial sentences are inevitable.
'You
Abiola were in danger of becoming unable to stay in this country. It
was ultimately a sham marriage and you were prepared to pay for it.
'It was not a question of family and friends wishing to indulge love, to do you a favour.
'You
Pinheiro-Fernandes played your part and were to be the bride. You went
along with this and bought the dress turning up at the ceremony.'
He said Pinheiro-Fernandes, a former air-steward, should be jailed for eight months because she played a lesser roll.
Abiola, 29, of Hull, and
Pinheiro-Fernandes, 29, of Park Hotel Manchester, appeared for sentence
after pleading guilty to conspiracy to breach immigration law by
arranging a marriage so Abiola could remain in the UK.
The marriage was to cost £5,000. Around £2,500 was paid in advance and the rest was to be paid on completion.
Crown
barrister David Bradshaw said Jayeole Abiola was a Nigerian student in
Hull and his visa was due to expire a few days after the marriage.
Knowing his visa was due to expire he paid Abiola Kumoye to arrange a
sham marriage. Portugal being a member state of the EU entitled him to citizenship.
It was fake because he did not know her,' said Mr Bradshaw.
'He
was not in love with her. He didn’t want to set up a loving family
unit. He did it because he wanted to stay in the UK. The bride and the
organizers stood to gain because they were being paid for their
services.'
He said the
Registrar Callum McDonald first became suspicious of the marriage at a
meeting into the Wilson Centre in Hull on October 16.
It was to be a formal check of birth
certificates, documents, passport, immigration documents and opportunity
to pay the deposit.
'The groom gave his proper name, but the bride gave a fake name when they spoke to the registrar,' said Mr Bradshaw.
'The bride did not want to be married in
her real name. The registrar was suspicious because the bride didn’t
look like her picture in the passport. He asked them both some
questions. They were not very convincing in their answers.'
He said they filled out a Registrar’s choice form giving details of music and readings for the ceremony.
'There
was to be music for the bride to walk into,' said Mr Bradshaw. 'The
song to be played first was Celine Dion’s: 'The First Time ever I saw
your face. It was quite apt.'
A poem was to be read by Mr Abbis. There was music for signing the register and music for leaving the room to.
Recorder Singh adjourned sentence for a report on marriage fixer Abiola Kumoye, 34, of Manchester.
He
has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to breach immigration law acquiring
criminal property £2,650 the first part of the fee for the sham
marriage.
The judge also
adjourned sentence on best man Ayodeji Abbis, 25, of Hunslet, who was
found guilty of the conspiracy and received £1,000 for his trouble.
Det
Sgt Andy Norris of the UK Border Agency said sham marriages have grown
considerably in the country but the problem has only recently come to
light in Hull. 'People who think they can use Hull in this way will need
to think again.
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