A BUSINESSMAN and his sister have been jailed after she conned her way into the UK from Bangladesh posing as a widow.

Mother-of-seven Ayesha Khatun falsely claimed her husband was dead when she first applied to enter this country in 2004 and having been granted an entry visa she arrived on September 16 2005 with five of her family. The other two joined her later.

The following year when her visa was expiring she applied for indefinite leave to remain and even submitted a bogus death certificate for her alleged husband in the name of Shamsul Islam to immigration authorities in support of her case and fake documents for her children also stating his death.

Leeds Crown Court heard her brother Habibur Rahman Habib from Pickering signed as her sponsor in that application.

Philip Standfast prosecuting told the court Habib even wrote a letter on February 10 2006 supporting his sister’s successful application for a settlement visa describing the hardship to her as a single mother since her husband had died.

But that was a lie in fact her real husband Mohammad Somuj Ali arrived in the UK on a work permit in September 2006. His application was even supported with a contract of employment from Habib to show he had work to go to.

When Home Office investigation officers attended Khatun’s address in Clovelly Avenue, Beeston, Leeds on June 6, 2014 to execute a warrant they found both her and her husband present, asleep in separate beds.

Mr Standfast said Khatun tried at that time to claim Ali was only her cousin. Inquiries then revealed her brother Habib’s participation in the deception.

The court heard in 2013 Khatun had applied for naturalisation failing again to disclose details of any husband or civil partner but it had not been approved before her arrest.

Khatun, 45 was jailed for 16 months after admitting two charges of obtaining leave to enter or remain in the UK by deception.

Habib, 40 of Market Place, Pickering admitted two charges of assisting unlawful immigration and was jailed for 43 months.

Jailing him on Friday, Judge Penelope Belcher said his offences were viewed as the more serious by Parliament since he had told blatant lies to get his sister and family in.

“I accept this isn’t a case of a lorry load of people being imported through the docks but you well knew your sister was coming in with seven children, so you were actually supporting eight people coming into this country who had no right to do so.”

“Those eight people remained here receiving benefits and education. You knew exactly what you were doing was undermining the whole system of immigration control.”

She told Khatun “I understand why as a mother you wanted the best for your children but that cannot detract from the fact you have committed serious immigration offences.”

She said the result was her children had benefited from education in this country “an education to which they had no right.”

The court heard on Khatun’s behalf that she had initially wanted to visit the UK to see her father who was a legal resident who was unwell and subsequently died.

She said at that time she was separated from her husband and did not think he would give permission for the children to travel with her so obtained the fake death certificate.

Once in the UK she decided the lifestyle was better and chose to stay.

Richard Holland for Habib said he had not benefited in any way financially himself. He was well regarded in his community and his businesses would suffer if he was jailed.