Man who tried to 'sell' sister to Chinese man jailed

A man who admitted trying to "sell" his vulnerable sister for £8,000 into a sham marriage as part of a Chinese immigration scam has been jailed.

Michael Wright, 22, from Wiltshire, was sentenced to four years after admitting immigration and perjury offences.

His sister, 24, who has learning difficulties, was put into social services care after the fake wedding at Reading Register Office was raided. The UK Border Agency branded Wright's plot "a despicable crime".



He was arrested at the sham wedding service on 20 August last year, as was the would-be groom Ligang Qiao, 29.

Ligang and another two Chinese nationals, Li Fan, 33, and her boyfriend Bing Liu, 30, also admitted taking part in the plot. Ligang was jailed for 15 months, Li for 18 months and Bing for two years.

The court heard that Wright had also previously married Li Fan in another sham wedding in April 2008, for which he had been paid £4,000.