A WOMAN who found love after going through with a sham marriage, has been jailed for 15 months at Manchester Crown Court.

Andreia Nogueira, aged 24, of Derby Street, Daubhill, was one of several Portuguese women flown to Britain to marry Indian men who wanted to stay in the UK.

The court heard the men would pay between £6,000 and £8,000 to go through with the weddings.

In March, the ringleader, Maria Loureiro was jailed for three years and nine months and her accomplice, Bolton businessman Iilas Neki was sent to prison for two years and eight months.

The bridegrooms involved were also jailed for between 15 and 18 months each. But all the brides, except Nogueira, had left the country after the wedding ceremonies.

Loureiro, from London, had arranged for nine Portuguese women to come to Britain to marry nine Indian men, the weddings taking place at register offices in Blackburn, Cheshire and Preston.

Yesterday at Manchester Crown Court, Judge David Hernandez heard how Nogueria had acted as a witness at one of the weddings and was pictured holding flowers at another.

On September 29, 2011, Nogueira herself married 25-year-old Faisal Chand at Blackburn Register Office.

He had initially arrived in Britain as a tourist and was refused approval to change to a student visa.

Register office staff were suspicious of the couple and police investigated, visiting the house in Derby Street where the couple were said to be living together but found no signs of female clothing or photographs.

Ahmed Nadim, defending said that the marriage had become affectionate and Nogueira remained in this country, even providing Chand with a bail address at her Derby Street home after he was questioned by the immigration authorities.

The court heard that Chand now faces deportation after having served part of his 15-month prison sentence. .

Judge Hernandez acknowledged that latterly there had been a genuine relationship between Chand and Nogueira.

“What started off as an arranged marriage developed because there was an affection between the two of you,” he said.

Nogueira pleaded guilty to conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and was sentenced to 15 months in prison.

“These offences are prevalant, easy to commit and difficult to detect, therefore deterrent sentences are called for,” said Judge Hernandez.