A Czech mother-of-two who wed a Nigerian for cash in a sham marriage has been jailed for 16 months.

Nadezda Mirgova married Olarotimi Ojugbele, 41, whose visa had run out, at St Andrew’s Church, Accrington, in May 2009.

The defendant, of East Road, Longsight, Manchester, admitted making a false statement with reference to marriage and assisting unlawful immigration to a member state.

Her lawyer, Alan Wolstenholme announced immediately he would be appealing the sentence.

He had argued she should get a suspended term because she is pregnant and had suffered complications in an earlier pregnancy.

Judge Beverley Lunt told Mirgova she had been not been in any dire financial need.

Judge Lunt said medical reports had not listed any problems in the defendant’s current pregnancy.

Ojugbele, of London, was earlier sent to custody for 21 months for his part in the sham marriage.

He had submitted to the UK Border Agency a UK residence application a month after the wedding.

It was sponsored by his wife and he was granted 12 months temporary residence. A year later, in June last year, he asked for a further period of residence, claiming he still lived with his wife in London.

When he was quizzed by police, he claimed the marriage was a love match, but he didn’t know his wife's phone number and was, in fact, living with his girlfriend.

Silvia Dacre, prosecuting in Mirgova’s case, said in May 2009, Ojugbele provided a false document to a vicar with a view to arranging a marriage.

The ceremony took place on May 9 and both he and Mirgova signed the register, stating they lived on Monk Street, Accrington.

When the defendant was later interviewed, she gave a prepared statement, denying any offending, but admitting she took part in the marriage.

She said she had afterwards lost contact with Ojugbele and had carried on with her existing relationship.

Mr Wolstenholme, for Mirgova, said were it not for a letter from her doctor he would conceed the case crossed the custody threshold and she would receive immediate prison.

Mr Wolstenhome said in an earlier pregnancy, the defendant suffered pre-eclampsia and there were placenta problems.