A bogus bride and groom have been jailed
after rounding up guests for their sham wedding – from a local bus
stop. Uzoma Onwuha, 30, and Robert Horvath, 35 exchanged vows at Cardiff
register office, in front of strangers they’d met on the way to their
ceremony in Cardiff, Wales. But Nigeria-born Onwuha had paid Horvath
£1,000 to marry her so that she could get the necessary paperwork to
stay in Britain.
Staff at the register office soon became
suspicious because the ‘couple’ couldn’t give basic details about each
other. Later, a police investigation showed that one guest revealed that
he was invited after the pair found him at a bus stop nearby. Cardiff
Crown court heard that as soon as their big day was over the newlyweds
went their separate ways.
Onwuha caught a bus back to her home in
London alone where she was arrested. Meanwhile, Horvath was seized in a
raid on his home in Newport, South Wales, where he was found living with
another woman. Prosecutor Jeremy Jenkins said: ‘There were only six
guests at the wedding.
‘But they were unable to answer police
questions such as where the other guests were from. ‘One guest said he
had been invited to the wedding after a random meeting with the bride
and groom at a bus stop.’ Onwuha, who came to the Britain on a student
visa, admitted obtaining leave to enter or remain in the UK by
deception.
Horvath, a Czech Republic native who has
lived in Britain since 2000, admitted assisting unlawful
immigration. They were each jailed for 12 months and told to pay £225 to
cover prosecution costs. Judge Phillip Richards said: ‘Horvath got a
financial reward from a woman who could scarcely afford that money. For
him it was a money-making exercise. For her it was a money-losing
exercise.
‘Those who deceive in order to benefit in
such a way are creating serious crimes. There is already enough criminal
activity going on in the UK,’. Upon serving her sentence, Onwuha will
be released into immigration custody and steps will be taken for her to
be returned to Nigeria.
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