When Marc Dougherty shared photographs from his Wild West-themed wedding in the United States, it appeared the businessman was eager to celebrate his new marriage publicly.
But the Facebook posts had an unintended consequence for the 52-year-old. They were seen by his former mother-in-law, who alerted police after spotting the images online.
Dougherty appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday, where he admitted bigamy and narrowly avoided being sent to prison.
The court was told he had travelled to Nevada in July 2024 to marry former flame Pamela Lewis, also 52, at an abandoned gold mining town on Independence Day, despite still being legally married to his first wife, 45-year-old Samantha Todd.
Prosecutor Lucy Moran said Dougherty, who had been married to Ms Todd since 2006, had filed for divorce in November 2020, alleging adultery.
However, Ms Todd denied being unfaithful, and the divorce proceedings were never formally concluded.
As a result, when Dougherty exchanged vows with florist Ms Lewis at Nelson Ghost Town, a Wild West tourist attraction in Eldorado Canyon around 45 miles south of Las Vegas, on July 4, he remained married in the eyes of the law.
Defending him, Bernice Campbell said Dougherty had initially “been tackling it in the right way,” but after Ms Todd failed to respond to the divorce application, he “put his head in the sand.”
Marc Dougherty and Pamela Lewis at Nelson Ghost Town, Nevada, on their wedding day in July 2024
The Wild West-themed venue, at an abandoned gold mining town, boasts vintage cars, weathered buildings and antique artifacts which provide a ‘romantic and unconventional setting’ for weddings
‘The marriage pictures appeared on Facebook and were picked up by his ex-mother-in-law and she reported it to the police,’ the lawyer added.
The court heard that Dougherty, who runs a building maintenance firm, married Ms Todd at a registry office in Hull, East Yorkshire, in September 2006.
They were together for around 12 years and have at least two children together.
Ms Todd did not accept she had been unfaithful and did not reply when Dougherty started divorce proceedings, even though she did not contest their separation, the hearing was told.
But Dougherty, who had issues with alcohol and was suffering mental health problems at the time, failed to pursue her or seek official confirmation.
He met and rekindled a former relationship with blonde-haired Ms Lewis, in 2023.
The court heard that, three days before their US wedding, Dougherty signed a written document wrongly confirming to the State of Nevada that he had been divorced since June 2019.
The couple also later held a wedding reception back in the UK, which his children from his first marriage attended.
RELATED: Texas Mom’s Final Moments Revealed Before Sisters Kitty and Cookie Allegedly Hacked Her to Death
Dougherty flew to Las Vegas, in Nevada, to marry Ms Lewis, but was still legally married to his first wife, Samantha Todd
Dougherty was sentenced to eight weeks in jail, suspended for 12 months
Dougherty pictured leaving Liverpool Crown Court after admitting bigamy
‘Perhaps that shows the naivety, ignorance and stupidity, the mess that this was,’ Ms Campbell added.
Sentencing him to eight weeks in jail, suspended for 12 months, Judge Louise Brandon told Dougherty: ‘When you married your current wife, you were still married to your first wife, which you were well aware of.
‘You made a decision, after being told that your wife would not contest a divorce, not to make the necessary applications.
‘It appears to me that you simply disengaged from the process.
‘You simply, deliberately did not bother, whether you didn’t think of the consequences or because you weren’t willing to invest the time and money required.’
The judge said Dougherty’s actions had not had a ‘detrimental impact’ on his first wife, but insisted his offending was aggravated because he had lied to the authorities in Nevada and to UK police.
The court heard, following his arrest, he repeatedly claimed he had received a decree absolute confirming his divorce but enquiries confirmed none was ever issued.
Ms Campbell said Dougherty, of Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, who has been diagnosed with cancer, now accepts he should not have remarried.
She added: ‘He is polite. He is very nervous and upset with the situation and hopes to move on with his life.’
Dougherty, who changed his not guilty plea and admitted bigamy on the first day of his trial last month, was also ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and to pay £1,000 in court costs.
According to its website, Nelson Ghost Town is a ‘romantic and unconventional setting for couples seeking an individual wedding or elopement experience.’
The town features a ‘charming’ wedding chapel, where couples can tie the knot, before posing for pictures beside authentic Wild West-style weathered buildings, vintage vehicles, and antique artifacts for ‘stunning, one-of-a-kind images.’
