UK Border Agency arrest sham marriage bride and groom
Published: 2013 May 14 12:00:12 (4751 Views)
The UK Border Agency police have arrested a bride and groom at Hull's Guildhall, Hull Crown Court heard.
Nigerian-born Jayeole Abiola, 29, of Grafton Street, Hull, and bride Portuguese Pinheiro-Fernandes, 29, of Park Hotel, Manchester, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to breach immigration law by arranging a marriage so Abiola could remain in the UK.
But their best man Ayodeji Abbis, 25, of Grange Road, Hunslet, pleaded not guilty to being party to the conspiracy and receiving £1,000 for his trouble.
Opening the prosecution case, barrister Edward Bindloss said Mr Abbis was in the dock because he arrived with the wedding party and was to be the best man as two people were needed as witnesses for it to be legal.
"This is a case of a fake marriage that very nearly happened in the Guildhall in Hull on November 8 last year." Mr Bindloss told the jury. " I say nearly happened because the registrar who was to conduct the marriage had suspicions about it and tipped off immigration officers. They were waiting for the party as they arrived.
"The groom 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 someone 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 this woman. 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 organisers 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 in 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 Bindloss. "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. It was a bit like the TV show Mr and Mrs. They were not very convincing in their answers to his questions about each other."
He said they filled out a registrar's choice form giving details of music and readings for the ceremony.
He said on the day the couple were to get married the groom had paid £1,000 in to the bank account of Mr Gebenger. On the same morning Mr Abbis had deposited £1000 in to his Virgin bank account.
"The best man at a wedding does not normally get paid," said Mr Bindloss. "On the morning of the wedding Mr Abbis is given £1000 in cash and pays it into his bank account. This was money being paid to be the best man at the wedding. It is the same amount as being paid to the organiser. You can draw your own inferences from that. You need two witnesses to make it lawful. Mr Abbis was being paid to be a witness."
He said the wedding party had bought the dress in BHS, Leeds, on the morning of the ceremony before driving across to Hull for the 2.30pm wedding.
He said receipts form BHS store in Leeds at 12.25 showed the purchase of the dress, the tiara, flowers and the communion veil.
"The bride arrived wearing purple and was shown into a waiting room," Mr Bindloss said. "The groom and the best man arrived and were shown into another room. The border agency police were inside. Celine Dion did not even get off the ground. She was stopped in her tracks."
Mr Abbis, 25, of Grange Road, Hunslet, made no comment in his police interview. The trial continues.
- Telegraph
Nigerian-born Jayeole Abiola, 29, of Grafton Street, Hull, and bride Portuguese Pinheiro-Fernandes, 29, of Park Hotel, Manchester, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to breach immigration law by arranging a marriage so Abiola could remain in the UK.
But their best man Ayodeji Abbis, 25, of Grange Road, Hunslet, pleaded not guilty to being party to the conspiracy and receiving £1,000 for his trouble.
Opening the prosecution case, barrister Edward Bindloss said Mr Abbis was in the dock because he arrived with the wedding party and was to be the best man as two people were needed as witnesses for it to be legal.
"This is a case of a fake marriage that very nearly happened in the Guildhall in Hull on November 8 last year." Mr Bindloss told the jury. " I say nearly happened because the registrar who was to conduct the marriage had suspicions about it and tipped off immigration officers. They were waiting for the party as they arrived.
"The groom 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 someone 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 this woman. 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 organisers 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 in 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 Bindloss. "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. It was a bit like the TV show Mr and Mrs. They were not very convincing in their answers to his questions about each other."
He said they filled out a registrar's choice form giving details of music and readings for the ceremony.
He said on the day the couple were to get married the groom had paid £1,000 in to the bank account of Mr Gebenger. On the same morning Mr Abbis had deposited £1000 in to his Virgin bank account.
"The best man at a wedding does not normally get paid," said Mr Bindloss. "On the morning of the wedding Mr Abbis is given £1000 in cash and pays it into his bank account. This was money being paid to be the best man at the wedding. It is the same amount as being paid to the organiser. You can draw your own inferences from that. You need two witnesses to make it lawful. Mr Abbis was being paid to be a witness."
He said the wedding party had bought the dress in BHS, Leeds, on the morning of the ceremony before driving across to Hull for the 2.30pm wedding.
He said receipts form BHS store in Leeds at 12.25 showed the purchase of the dress, the tiara, flowers and the communion veil.
"The bride arrived wearing purple and was shown into a waiting room," Mr Bindloss said. "The groom and the best man arrived and were shown into another room. The border agency police were inside. Celine Dion did not even get off the ground. She was stopped in her tracks."
Mr Abbis, 25, of Grange Road, Hunslet, made no comment in his police interview. The trial continues.
- Telegraph
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