A wife shouted abuse at her husband in court after discovering she had been married to him for 22 years without knowing his real name. The man, who still refuses to reveal his true identity, stole the name Mark Akintola and lived under it for at least two decades. He used the name to apply for passports and obtain jobs, as well as get married and bring up a daughter, who is now 17.
The real Mr Akintola moved to the United States in 1979 and had no idea someone had been using his identity in this country. It was only in September this year when the thief applied for a passport renewal and officials double checked his credentials that the falsehood was uncovered. The man - still insisting on using the name Akintola - was jailed for two years after admitting a string of fraud offences at Southwark Crown Court.
As he was led to the cells, his wife, whose name was not revealed in the proceedings, stood up in the well of the court and pointed her finger at him. She shouted: "Your daughter's got a right to know who you are! You are damn out of order." Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith said he could understand her feelings, but asked her to leave the court. Passing sentence, he told the defendant: "About the one thing I am certain of in this case is that you are not Mark Akintola, but that is the name I am going to sentence you under."
Although the false Mr Akintolas real identity is not known, it is thought he is originally from Nigeria, and he is likely to be deported back there on his release. As the real Mark Akintola is a British citizen, he was able to apply for UK documents under his name, obtaining passports in 1991 and 2001. He married in 1988 under the false name, and his family only discovered that he was not who he claimed to be earlier this year after an immigration official investigated his most recent passport application.
No comments:
Post a Comment