Vicar jailed over sham marriages

A Church of England vicar has been jailed for 30 months after carrying out dozens of sham marriages in his Rochdale parish — allowing illegal immigrants to live in the UK.

The Rev Canon Dr John Magumba was taking so many weddings involving foreign nationals his diocese put him in charge of a special working party on how to handle marriages for foreigners — and how to spot sham weddings.

Father–of–six Magumba, originally from Uganda, asked no questions when marrying a stream of Nigerian men and eastern European women who began flocking to his parish in Rochdale from across the UK.

The 58–year–old even told local churchgoers that African worshippers didn’t feel comfortable around so many white parishioners — so he set up separate African services.

The number of weddings rocketed after Magumba became the team vicar for St Mary’s in Rochdale, St Peter’s in Newbold and St Luke’s in Deeplish.

Magumba showed no emotion as sentence was passed at Bolton Crown Court after he admitted carrying out 28 sham weddings.

Judge William Morris told the defendant: “What you did repeatedly amounted to very serious breaches of the immigration laws of this country properly designed to prevent those with no entitlement to reside in the UK from doing so.

“Whatever your motive, your offences have brought scandal to the church and let down your family and parishioners.”

Police are not sure Magumba even conducted any actual services — but instead simply filled in the marriage certificates, described as the “golden ticket” to illegal immigrants.

Non–EU citizens who marry EU citizens cannot be deported.