A SOUTHAMPTON woman who arranged a series of sham weddings in a conspiracy to flout UK immigration laws has been jailed for seven years.

Justyna Sobieraj masterminded marriage ceremonies in Southampton and Winchester to ensure non-EU nationals could remain in this country after their visas expired.

In two cases, immigration enforcement teams attended the offices on the day of the marriages and stopped the ceremonies going ahead.

Sobieraj, 37, of Albany Road, Southampton, was responsible for recruiting the brides.

Sobieraj, who had earlier admitted a charge of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration, was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court alongside one of the brides – Kamila Grzymala, 34, of Burgess Road, Southampton.

Grzymala had also pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to a charge of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration into the UK.

Yesterday she was sentenced to two years for that offence and two years for bigamy – but both terms were suspended for two years.

A third defendant, Eric Asante, conspired with Sobieraj to arrange a string of sham marriages, again for the purposes of enabling the grooms to apply for residence permits.

Asante, 47, of Bryant Close, London, failed to attend the hearing and received an eight-year jail term in his absence.

Part of the hearing related to a separate three-week trial in September at which Asante and Sobieraj denied assisting unlawful immigration into the UK but were found guilty.

Passing sentence Judge Gary Burrell, QC, said Sobieraj has been “seduced” by the prospect of financial gain.

Turning to Grzymala he added: “You have been extremely stupid.”

Speaking after the case immigration investigator Nick Jupp said; “These marriages were a way for Sobieraj and the ‘brides’ to line their own pockets.”