A Portuguese groom involved in an alleged sham wedding did not even know his bride’s name after walking her down the aisle, a court has heard. Fernando Da Silva, 43, is accused of taking part in an elaborate fake marriage scam to help a Nigerian woman gain a British passport. Immigration police hid in the vestry at All Saints’ Church, in Peterborough , Cambs, on May 17 and pounced moments before the couple were due to make their vows. A trial at Peterborough Crown Court heard Da Silva claim he fell "deeply in love" with bride-to-be Ruth Abumhere, 29, at a party five months before the wedding.

Nation