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| Winchester Register Office sham wedding trio guilty | Winchester Register Office sham wedding trio guilty |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Three men have been convicted of planning a sham marriage to allow one of them to stay in the UK. | Three men have been convicted of planning a sham marriage to allow one of them to stay in the UK. |
| Devine Abanda, 27, from Cameroon, was arrested at Winchester's Register Office in February 2014 as he prepared to marry Olivia Godefroy. | Devine Abanda, 27, from Cameroon, was arrested at Winchester's Register Office in February 2014 as he prepared to marry Olivia Godefroy. |
| Ivorian Pacombe Djedje, 30, and Belgian Olivier Attee, 31, were also convicted of immigration law breaches after a trial at Winchester Crown Court. | Ivorian Pacombe Djedje, 30, and Belgian Olivier Attee, 31, were also convicted of immigration law breaches after a trial at Winchester Crown Court. |
| The bride had previously admitted conspiring to marry Abanda for money. | The bride had previously admitted conspiring to marry Abanda for money. |
| French national Godefroy was due to be paid £2,000 to marry the groom, jurors were told. | French national Godefroy was due to be paid £2,000 to marry the groom, jurors were told. |
| She also admitted bigamy, having been already been married to two men. | She also admitted bigamy, having been already been married to two men. |
| Abanda, of Hillards Road, Uxbridge, west London, had tried to marry as his visa was due to expire, the court heard. | Abanda, of Hillards Road, Uxbridge, west London, had tried to marry as his visa was due to expire, the court heard. |
| A number of documents were found in baggage belonging to the wedding party, including a "crib sheet" giving the bride essential details about her prospective husband, including his full name, address, job and the names of his parents. | A number of documents were found in baggage belonging to the wedding party, including a "crib sheet" giving the bride essential details about her prospective husband, including his full name, address, job and the names of his parents. |
| The ceremony was interrupted by immigration officers before it could be completed. | The ceremony was interrupted by immigration officers before it could be completed. |
| Home Office assistant director of immigration enforcement, Martin Huxley, said officials believed they had disrupted a "criminal network" conducting bogus weddings. | Home Office assistant director of immigration enforcement, Martin Huxley, said officials believed they had disrupted a "criminal network" conducting bogus weddings. |
| He said the ceremony had been referred to authorities by the local register office, and officers had observed the wedding party arriving before they intervened. | He said the ceremony had been referred to authorities by the local register office, and officers had observed the wedding party arriving before they intervened. |
| Abanda, Djedje, and Attie had each denied one count of conspiracy to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law by a non-EU person. | Abanda, Djedje, and Attie had each denied one count of conspiracy to facilitate the commission of a breach of UK immigration law by a non-EU person. |
| They will be sentenced at a later date. |