12/09/2012

Seven Charged With Sham Marriage Immigration Offences

Seven people including a solicitor and trainee solicitor are facing immigration charges relating to an alleged sham marriage at City Hall in August 2011.

The alleged sham marriage groom was John Robert Nicholl, 55, from Sea Road in Castlerock, County Londonderry.

And Edward Nicholl, 59, from Glebe Avenue in Coleraine, is charged with participating in a sham marriage by acting as a groom.

Solicitor John Irwin, faces charges in breach of immigration laws - specifically, completing driving licence applications for non-EU citizens in breach of immigration laws.

Michelle Lyons, a trainee solicitor, faces eight charges, including facilitating a sham marriage and completing a business transfer.

She is also charged with making fraudulent driving licence applications for foreign nationals for personal gain.

Two Chinese women and a man were also charged in connection with breaches of the immigration laws.

(NE)

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