Brit bigamist, 69, married 16-year-old stepdaughter while also wed to her mum – then had children with BOTH of them
A BRIT bigamist married his 16-year-old stepdaughter while wed to her mum – then had children with both of them.
John Ingram, 69, changed his name so he could tie the knot with the schoolgirl in a 1988 ceremony in Kent attended by his wife.
The sick liar then went on to father several children with the mum and daughter, although many of the kids were unaware who their dad was.
Ingram’s vile web of deceit was only discovered in February 2020 – a staggering 32 years after he committed bigotry.
He was facing a seven year sentence after pleading guilty to the offence but was spared jail.
Ingram was instead handed a two-year community order and told to pay £450 in total.
Maidstone Crown Court heard he first legally married his wife in January 1983.
Five years later, Ingram wed his teen stepdaughter under the name Neil Carr with her mum – Ingram’s legal wife – as a witness.
After he was arrested, Ingram confessed to the bigamy and claimed the lie was to scrounge additional benefits.
Prosecutor Jeremy Kingsford said: “He confirmed he had changed his name by deed poll to do this.
“He told police that (his wife) was present for the wedding ceremony and that when he married (the step-daughter) she was 16 and the relationship was consensual.”
Ingram also told officers his legal spouse did not know he was the biological father of all the children he shared with her daughter.
The court was told police found neither marriage had legally ended in the intervening years.
His current relationship status was not revealed but his lawyer said Ingram is the sole carer for his first wife, who has dementia.
Mark O’Connor also said in mitigation that any deception was against the institution of marriage rather than the two women involved.
A pre-sentence report found Ingram was a “controlling, manipulative man who has exerted power over his family members, exploiting and abusing their trust”.
Recorder David Vince said the children had suffered “considerable distress” with the impact felt “to this day”, by the lies they had been told.
He added: “Bigamy undermines the institution of marriage but aside from that, in this particular case it was essentially a crime of deception, though not to the women concerned but to those officiating and to anyone else who were deceived by being shown evidence of the marriage.
“You falsely claimed, as it is clear on the marriage certificate, that you were no longer married, all previous marriages having been dissolved.
“You committed this offence to provide access to benefits to which she would not otherwise be entitled, and that is an aggravating factor.”