West Bromwich 'sham gay marriage plot uncovered in immigration swoop'

The woman, Marianna Bartkova, 40, was even set to be a witness at the bogus civil ceremony between Ramon Suru, the man with whom she was living, and Gurmail Joshan, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

Suru is on trial with Bartkova accused of conspiring with Joshan to facilitate a breach in immigration law. Joshan, an illegal immigrant, has already admitted the offence, jurors were told.

The alleged sham gay marriage was halted when immigration and police officers swooped on Gretna Green Register Office on June 28 last year as the men prepared to tie the knot, said Miss Elisabeth Bussey-Jones, prosecuting.

It came after a registrar had raised 'question marks' about the legitimacy of the relationship when the pair officially registered details of the planned ceremony, it was said.

The court also heard that Joshan, aged 36, was in the UK illegally after overstaying a student visa and had booked to marry a woman at West Bromwich Register Office three times between January and April last year - just months before the proposed 'gay' ceremony - but neither party had arrived for any of these.

Illegal immigrants can apply to stay as a citizen of the UK if they marry nationals from EU countries, such as Slovakia, who are living here, continued Miss Elisabeth Bussey-Jones.

Father of two Suru, also 40, had arrived in this country ten years ago, split from his wife, and set up home with fellow Slovakian Bartkova in a one bedroom flat in New Street, West Bromwich in August 2012. She had described him as her partner in unrelated dealings with the police, continued Miss Bussey-Jones. She later insisted that they slept separately and were just friends.

Joshan, who claimed to have met Suru at The Goose pub in West Bromwich in November 2012, had pleaded guilty to conspiring to facilitate a breach in immigration law, the jury was told.

The two men, Bartkova and a Czech woman who was also expected to be a witness of the ceremony, had been taken to Scotland from the Midlands in the same black Audi A6 for the planned civil ceremony, said Det Sgt Andy Carter who was involved in the swoop on Gretna Green Register Office.

Bartkova, also divorced, had an envelope marked £1,000 with money inside it, along with the debit card of Joshan, added the police officer. The trial is being conducted in the absence of Bartkova.

She and Suru both deny conspiring with Joshan, of St Christopher's Close, West Bromwich, between November 9 2012 and June 29 2013. The case continues.