Did runaway groom Murat Shomshe really get married?
A JUDGE may have been hoodwinked into granting bail to runaway groom Murat Shomshe as suspicions are growing that the wedding never happened.
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A JUDGE may have been hoodwinked into granting bail to runaway groom Murat Shomshe as suspicions are growing that the wedding never happened.
His alleged bride was in court to hear that, wearing a diamond ring on her wedding finger.
She has vowed to stand by her man, despite his runner costing her a $10,000 bond and Shomshe being found in a pole-dancing studio.
A receipt tendered during Shomshe’s successful bail application on July 24 claimed a $6000 deposit had been paid for their wedding at Waterfront Venues.
The receipt claimed $14,000 remained owing for the $125-a- head event for 160 guests to be held on July 24.
But during the bail hearing, Judge Richard Maidment was told the wedding would take place the next day, Saturday July 25, with 470 attending.
Fears of a ring sting grew further yesterday when Waterfront Venues claimed no record of the happy occasion.
A spokesman said that on the weekend Shomshe was released for his wedding, it did not host any marriages.
A social media post also emerged showing Shomshe and two women, believed to be his sisters, on the night of his alleged wedding.
He used the social media name I Am Houdini.
Judge Maidment had released Shomshe on the promise he surrender himself into custody two days after his wedding, despite the discrepancies between the receipt and the sworn testimony.
He also raised concerns about Shomshe’s potential access to firearms.
Shomshe skipped his bail, staying on the run for more than a week before being arrested at the pole-dancing venue in Campbellfield on Tuesday.
Judge Maidment had been told Shomshe was just days away from standing trial over allegations he fired a gun at a woman in public.
He denies the allegations.
At Wednesday’s hearing, lawyers successfully argued to have Shomshe’s trial adjourned until February, claiming he could not receive a fair trial because of adverse media publicity surrounding his bail situation.
He was remanded in custody. He did not apply for bail.