33-Year old Nigeria's Joseph Iwueke, was due to marry 29-Year old Slovakian, Ingrida Stojkova in Leeds last July so he could stay in Britain. But they were arrested moments before their fake wedding was due to start after officials at a pre-marriage meeting noticed the groom reading details about his supposed bride from the back of his hand. Iwueke, Stojkova and two others have now been jailed for conspiracy to facilitate a breach of UK immigration law.
Leeds Crown Court heard that authorities had been tipped off by a registrar who became suspicious when the pair attended the register office a month earlier and were unable to spell each other's names.
Two other men - Obinna Odelugo, 49, and Robert Stojka - were also arrested at the ceremony and found in possession of bundles of cash. They were described as the 'fixers' who arranged the fake wedding for financial gain. Obinna ran from the ceremony room in West Yorkshire but was found hiding in a toilet cubicle. While Robert had initially claimed to be acting as an interpreter for Stojvoka, of Bolton, Lancashire.
Nadim Bashir, prosecuting, said: 'His arrival in jogging bottoms to the wedding ceremony left a lot to be desired as to his real purpose in attending.'
Iwueke was jailed for two years and nine months and Stojkova was given a 15-month sentence after they pleaded guilty to to conspiracy to facilitate a breach of immigration law.
Obinna, of London, and Stojka, of Bolton, Greater Manchester, were both given sentences of two years and three months after also admitting conspiracy to facilitate a breach of immigration law.
Stojka was ordered to pay back £1,000 within seven days, while Obinna was ordered to pay back £2,000.
The court heard Iwueke was desperate to be married to someone from an EU country so he could remain in the UK. He will be deported after completing the prison sentence.
Culled from: DailyMail
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