A babysitter who married a Nigerian
immigrant in a sham ceremony has been jailed for six months.
Emma Louise
Evans, 35, wept in the dock at as she was sentenced for her sham wedding with
Nigerian Kazeem Kolade Office in 2012.
Kolade has since disappeared
and the police are continuing to look for him.
“Offences of this kind strike at the
heart of the immigration system and the message must go out to all those
thinking of engaging in this kind of behaviour that the punishment will
severe,” said Judge
Jonathan Gibson.
Evans had
never denied taking part in the sham marriage to Kolade, but she was able to
convince prosecutors she did then not go on to bigamously marry a second man,
Stephen Akinseye, who she remains married to, the following January.
Defence
counsel Mark Stuart was able to produce a divorce certificate, after making
inquiries with the Nigerian High Commission, to prove that the first wedding
had been annulled.
Evens denied
bigamy and a third charge of taking part in a second sham marriage with
Akinseye at Burnley.
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