A jilted Perth man is battling to have his new wife’s visa rescinded after she dumped him just 20 minutes after they crossed the threshold.
Johnny Gannon (57) believes his Jamaican bride may have used him to get into Britain and is in talks with the police and the UK Border Agency.
The couple wed in 24-year-old Patrice Chambers’ home country in January after a two-year romance but she only received permission to come to Scotland this month.
The social worker said he was looking forward to spending the rest of his life with “beautiful” Patrice and thought she felt the same way until they arrived in Perth on Saturday.
On her request, he went to a shop to pick up some Pot Noodles but when he returned to his flat in Balgowan Road she told him she was leaving.
Suitcase in hand, the former bar worker then ran into the street to try to flag down passing cars before heading for the railway station.
Mr Gannon, who says he spent more than £4000 on Patrice this year alone, has not seen or heard from her since Saturday night and suspects she is with a Jamaican boyfriend living elsewhere in the UK.
When he brought his wedding snaps into The Courier’s Perth office earlier this year, he spoke of his desire to “bring her home” and said he wanted his friends to see her in her ivory gown. The pair got to know each other when Mr Gannon was holidaying at Treasure Beach Resort.
He said, “I feel humiliated. She’s used me a visa and flights to the UK were probably all she was after. I was looking forward to spending the rest of my life with her but I think she planned this all along.”PressureThe divorcee said he was “pinching himself” when she first told him she loved him and had fought hard to secure her a tourist visa, which proved unsuccessful.
Although she initially did not push the topic of marriage, Mr Gannon said she stepped up the pressure when he visited her after Christmas. She wanted to be wed before he returned home.
“All of a sudden everything was on,” he added. “The location was sorted and I was getting taken along to meet the pastor.”
The wedding was witnessed by a few of the new Mrs Gannon’s friends but there was no sign of her family, which he now realises should have sounded alarm bells.
After returning home following their nuptials, he sent cash to Jamaica each month some of which was a loan from his sister and thought his dream had come true when her visa application was accepted.
He flew to Gatwick to meet her off the plane on Saturday and was greeted by a big hug and a kiss but when they finally arrived back in Perth the mood soured and she fled.
He added, “I was looking forward to introducing her to my mum … I’ll have to think what to tell her now.”
He is waiting to hear from the UK Border Agency.
Photo by Flickr user Phil Hawksworth.