British Woman In Court For Marrying Two Nigerian Men ( Photos)

Emma Louise, 34, confessed to taking part in a
‘marriage of convenience’ with Kazeem Kolade
but charges that she bigamously married a
second man in another sham wedding were later
dropped.
Burnley Crown Court heard that her marriage to
Kolade was annulled so that Evans could
genuinely marry her partner Stephen Akinseye, 45,
in January 2013.
Initially Evans was accused of two suspected
sham marriages – the first to Kolade and the
second to Mr Akinseye – as well as a third
charge of bigamy.
Now prosecutors have accepted the second
marriage was neither bigamous nor fake and
dropped the second sham marriage allegation.
Evans, of Burnley, Lancashire, will be sentenced
for the one count of taking part in a ‘marriage of
convenience’ on December 9.

Adjourning the case, Judge Harry Narayan told
her: ‘The fact that I am going to bail you in order
for a pre-sentence report is no indication as to
sentence.
‘All sentencing options, including a custodial
sentence, remain open to the court.’
Evans admitted taking part in the sham marriage
to Kolade in order to assist his illegal immigration
by deception, so the Nigerian could remain in the
UK, the court heard.
The pair wed at Blackburn Register Office in July
2012.
However, Evans strenuously denied bigamy, and
also a third charge of taking part in a second
sham marriage with Mr Akinseye at Burnley.
After her case was adjourned last year for further
investigations, she was able to convince
prosecutors she did not go on to bigamously
marry Mr Akinseye.
After making enquiries with the Nigerian High
Commission, her defence counsel Mark Stuart
was able to produce a divorce certificate to prove
that Evans’ first marriage had been annulled.
Prosecutor Neil Bisarya said the pleas were
acceptable to the Crown, after legal discussions
had taken place with Mr Stuart, and further
consideration of the evidence in the case.
Judge Narayan formally entered a not guilty
verdict on the bigamy offence and allowed the
second sham marriage charge for Mr Akinseye to
lie on the court file.
The former Accrington and Rossendale College
and Fearns High student now faces being
sentenced next month on the one sham marriage
charge.
The court was not told of the whereabouts of
Kolade, or whether he has now been removed
from the UK. At the time of his arrest he faced
deportation as his temporary visa had expired.
Requesting a pre-sentence report for Evans, Mr
Stuart said: ‘The defendant is a lady of good
character.’
Only last year a senior Government official
warned that sham marriages are a ‘massive
loophole’ in Britain’s border controls and amount
to a ‘golden ticket’ into the country for
immigrants.
John Vine, the chief inspector of Borders and
Immigration, highlighted serious failings in the
way officials are attempting to combat bogus
marriages.
His report found evidence it could be a ‘growing
problem’, but intelligence on the true picture was
‘lagging behind’.
A significant number of sham marriages may be
going undetected because register offices are
failing to report suspicious couples to immigration
officials, the report added.
A Home Office spokeswoman said: ‘Registrars
have a duty to report suspected sham marriages
to the Home Office.
‘We are working more closely with the General
Register Office to increase awareness and
improve the national response.’