A CAMEROON man who arranged a sham marriage in Hampshire has been jailed for his part in the crime.

As previously reported by The Gazette, police officers arrested a French woman and a man from Cameroon at Winchester Register Office on February 28 after hearing that the marriage was a hoax.

The groom’, Devine Atalako Abanda, formerly of Augustus Drive, Winklebury, was found guilty, following a trial in June, of conspiracy to facilitate obtaining leave to remain in the UK by deception by marrying Olivia Godefroy, 22, who had earlier pleaded guilty to the conspiracy and bigamy.

Winchester Crown Court heard how Godefroy – a French national – had married a man in December 2012 in Wood Green, London before marrying Diedonna Ateh in Wandsworth, in January 2014.

She claimed Armand Djedje – the “fixer" of the marriage to Abanda, of Hillards Road, Uxbridge – had also arranged her marriage to Ateh, promising her £2,000.

A number of documents were found in baggage belonging to the wedding party, including a sheet giving the bride essential details about her prospective husband, including his full name, address, job and the names of his parents.

Godefroy was given 12 months for the conspiracy and 15 months for bigamy, to run concurrently, suspended for two years.

Abanda, 27, was given 15 months, minus the 207 days already served in custody and Djedje, 30, of the Ivory Coast, was sentenced to 18 months, minus 216 days already served in custody, for his part in the sham marriage.

The fourth member of the gang – 31-year-old Olivier Attie from Belgium – failed to show up for the sentence and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

He still remains at large and his whereabouts and real identity are currently unknown.