Bride and groom arrested at sham wedding jailed
- Published
The marriage was set up to help Babawale stay in the country
A bride and groom who were arrested at their sham wedding have both been jailed for eight months.
Pavel Mirga, 23, and Florence Babawale, 19, were arrested by immigration officials outside a church in Streatham, south London, in August.
Last month, Mirga, a Czech national, pleaded guilty to assisting illegal immigration and making a false statement with reference to marriage.
Nigerian Babawale admitted perjury and possessing false identity documents.
Strong message
The marriage was set up to help Babawale stay in the country, but she had supplied the church with a passport containing a false residency stamp and had lied about her address.
Det Supt Chris Foster, head of the UK Border Agency's London Immigration Crime team, said: "I think this will send out a strong message to those who try to flout the immigration system in this way.
"The UK Border Agency and our law enforcement partners are now targeting those who take part in or organise sham marriages, and they face arrest and prison."
The pair were jailed at Inner London Crown Court on Monday.