Woman in court over "sham marriage"

A woman from Ghana has appeared in court after police stopped an alleged fake marriage taking place in Belfast. 18 year old Victoria Boateng was arrested and charged along with a Portuguese man suspected of being the pretend groom in the middle of the registry office ceremony at City Hall.

Two other men believed to have been acting as witnesses were also detained during the swoop on Wednesday.

They are understood to be from Portugal and South Africa and have been released without charge pending further inquiries.

Boateng, with an address at Fernagh Drive, Newtownabbey, is charged with seeking to obtain leave to remain in the UK by deception, namely though attempting to get married.

Belfast Magistrates Court heard she came to Northern Ireland after being granted a temporary visa for youth work in Hertfordshire in England.

Boateng's lawyer told the court she has been staying with her mother, who works as a care home nurse, and has enrolled at Belfast Metropolitan College.

The accused was granted bail on condition that she continues to live at that address.

District Judge George Conner also ordered her to report to police daily and surrender all travel documents in her possession.

Boateng is due to appear again in court next month along with the alleged groom.

The 24-year-old man, originally from Portugal, has been charged with assisting unlawful immigration.