Bigamist unmasked on Facebook

A MAN was unmasked as a bigamist after his first wife saw the photographs of his second wedding on Facebook.

Brian Frain, 36, of Cleethorpes, is now facing a possible prison sentence.

Frain married Anne-Marie Sim at Tameside Register Office, Dukinfield, Manchester in June 1999 after a two-month "whirlwind romance", a court was told.

They separated after two months and she moved to Scotland. The court was told that she attempted to contact Frain five years later to seek a divorce as she wanted to remarry.

She contacted solicitors and hired a firm to track him down, but they couldn't locate him.

Eventually, Mrs Frain turned detective and hunted him down through Facebook – where she saw the wedding pictures of his marriage in September 2009 to Louise Meredith at the same register office, Tameside Magistrates' Court heard.

David Curtis, prosecuting, said: "She made enquiries with the register office and he had not told them that he was already married."

Frain, who has since moved to St Helier's Road, Cleethorpes, pleaded guilty to a single count of bigamy.

Mr Curtis said that in interviews, Frain admitted that he had married in 1999.

He said: "Due to the amount of time that had passed, Mr Frain assumed that he was no longer married to her. He did not inform the register office and took no legal advice."

The court was told Frain met his second wife Louise in June 2007.

They formed a friendship after they exchanged messages over the internet, district judge Paul Richardson heard. Mr Curtis said: "He made no mention that he was married."

Police were contacted and Frain was later arrested.

In a statement written by Louise, read out to the court, she said: "Although I had been married before, I was under the impression that this was Brian's first marriage.

"The wedding went well. I truly believed that I was his first wife. This has obviously affected me."

The court was told that they are no longer together.

Rachel Wilson, defending, said Frain claims his second wife knew that he was married. District judge Richardson ruled that a short trial would be held on August 7 to settle the point. Ms Wilson said: "He fully complied with the police. Ten years later he meets the second wife. He believes that at that stage, his marriage no longer existed because of the fact that it was only for two months and it was ten years ago. He accepts that he was ignorant."

District judge Richardson told Frain: "It makes a difference whether or not you deceived this lady. Your statements are opposite and we are going to have a trial of the issue."

Frain was bailed to appear again in court on August 7.

After the case, Louise, 34, said: "I got a phone call around February this year from the police asking about Brian. I said I am not with him. They informed me there was a bigamy investigation – I was in shock. I wanted to see him, I wanted answers."

Keep reading your Grimsby Telegraph for updates on the case.