Wife shocked to uncover husband’s wedding to another woman through facebook; sues him and is sent to jail

UK:   Serial cheat Andrew O'Clee married Michelle in 2013, five years after and while already hitched to his first wife Michelle.

O'Clee's double life landed him in prison earlier this week, after his lies were exposed by doing the ice bucket challenge.

It was when he was tagged in a photo of the charity craze that his lengthy deception began to unravel.

O'Clee, 36, was married to Michelle, 39, but also tied the knot with a second wife Philippa, 30, a court heard this week.

He even forged a decree absolute to show his family so his mum and brother believed he had divorced Michelle and they happily attended his second wedding.

O'Clee then told his first wife he was involved in a fraud case and had to enter the Witness Protection Program which would keep him away from home for long periods.

He even showed up briefly five hours late at the birth of their child - cut the umbilical cord and said he had to leave with police.

But O'Clee's web of "lies and forgery" caught up with him after four years when he was tagged in a Facebook post after being nominated for the ice bucket challenge by his brother's toddler son.

A video of his nomination to take part in the challenge in August 2014 appeared on social media captioned "uncle Andrew and auntie Philippa."

Cheating Andrew picked up the gauntlet and filmed his challenge days later before posting it to Facebook where his first wife found it.

Michelle then uncovered photos of his second wedding on Facebook and notified the police.

O'Clee, of Chiddingfold, Surrey, was jailed for eight months at Chichester Crown Court for bigamy on Tuesday.

Judge Christopher Parker QC said: "You began to develop a complicated and absurd lie.

"All of which was a complete nonsense but it enabled you to lead a double life.

"The question is, why on earth would you do it? You are a shameless liar, happy to have as much comfort wherever you could find it.

"Bigamy is an offence against the institution of marriage, an institution founded on complete trust. This was simply a selfish act."

O'Clee met Michelle in 2000 and they married in 2008. He began his affair with second wife Phillipa in 2011 - while he and Michelle were still trying for a baby, the court heard.

He then told her he had seen a fraud and was in Witness Protection as his life was in danger - and he had to spend long periods in a safe house.

Andrew's illegal wedding to Philippa, now 30, took place in St John the Baptist church in Kirdford, set in the idyllic West Sussex countryside, before they celebrated at Russets Country House, near their Surrey home, in August 2013.

Michelle told the court: "Thinking back, as I do every single minute of every single day, I had no reason not to trust Andrew.

"In 2012 he told me he had a new job and work was involved in fraudulent issues.

"I was told he would have to be taken to a safe house with his colleagues for his and my own safety.

"He was taken to a safe house every night and I wasn't allowed to know the location.

"I was told by him not to tell my family or friends. I became paranoid and constantly fearful for my safety.

"Looking back I feel completely stupid and naive for not thinking something was wrong. I believed my life was in danger."

Michelle went into labour 18 months after he began his safe-house lie and he turned up to the birth five hours late.

He cut the umbilical cord and left saying police were waiting to take him to safety.

She added: "The day I found out about the bigamy was the day my world fell apart and the violent betrayal unfolded."

She later saw the Facebook post and then unearthed photos of his second wedding on social media and reported it to police before he was arrested in August 2014.

Defending, Patrick Duffy said: "It's hard to answer. He has abandonment issues. When he was 15 his mother and father broke up.

"There isn't a day that goes by when he doesn't regret the stupidity of his actions."

He added that Philippa wished to carry on her relationship with the cheat.

O'Clee admitted to one count of bigamy and is expected to serve half of his sentence in custody.

His mother Linda Whiteside, of Rusting, West Sussex, yesterday refused to comment on her son's deception.

Michelle, 39, is thought to be living with her parents in New Malden, Surrey.

Remarkably, Philippa vowed to stand by her lying 'husband', when approached at the home they shared in Surrey, but refused to comment further.

Philippa said: "He's still my husband."