Vicar jailed over sham marriages in the UK

A Church of England vicar was jailed for four-and-a-half years today for presiding over nearly 250 sham marriages in a “massive and systematic” immigration fraud.

The Rev Brian Shipsides, 56, conducted more than 200 bogus unions at his inner-city parish, pocketing the proceeds for his own financial gain.

The nuptials – largely between Nigerians and European Union citizens – gave the phoney brides and grooms the right to stay in Britain.

Inner London Crown Court heard that Shipsides’ scam centred around All Saints Church in Forest Gate, east London, where he held around 250 ceremonies in a two-and-a-half year period.

The unions were arranged with the help of “marriage fixer” Amudalat Ladipo, 32, and in many cases, involved the purchase of easyJet flights for those flown into the country specifically for the wedding ceremonies.

Prosecutors claim Shipsides pocketed more than £30,000 for his “meticulously planned and carefully orchestrated” scheme.

Jailing Shipsides, Judge Peter Grobel told him: “Your important role in this conspiracy was a disgraceful abuse of your calling as an ordained minister of the Church.

“This was a conspiracy to breach the United Kingdom’s immigration laws by arranging sham marriages.

“These marriages took place in your church. Your church where you had been the priest in charge for many years.”

During Shipsides’ tenure, he said up to seven bogus unions took place on one day.

“Your criminal conduct appears to have been motivated as much by arrogance as by greed,” the judge added.

“There really is no mitigation in respect of this type of offending which undermines UK immigration law, threatens the benefit system and exploits the lives of many vulnerable and desperate people.”