Pair jailed over sham wedding ceremony

A CZECH bride and a Nigerian bridegroom were jailed yesterday for staging a sham marriage to gain illegal entry into the UK.

By The Newsroom

Published 10th Dec 2010, 09:56 BST

Updated 10th Dec 2010, 09:56 BST

Nigerian Idowu Komolafe, 34, was jailed for 21 months for

perjury and assisting unlawful immigration at Burnley Crown Court, the UK Border Agency said.

Czech national Kveta Pokosova, 45, was jailed for 16 months for bigamy, perjury and assisting unlawful immigration. Both had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.

They were arrested by the UK Border Agency after it emerged that Pokosova was paid 3,000 to go through with the ceremony at St Peter's Church in Accrington Lancashire, on June 3 2009.

Dave Magrath, head of the UK Border Agency's Immigration Crime Team in the North West, said the sentencing sent out a strong message to those thinking of undertaking sham marriages in order to bypass UK immigration rules.

He added: "We are determined to track down those involved and bring them to justice."