A man who married a 14-year-old girl in Melbourne was told by authorities just a day before the ceremony that it was illegal for her to wed.
Mohammad Shakir, 35, repeatedly sobbed in the County Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to marrying an underage person.
It is the first such prosecution in Australia and carries a maximum five years' jail.
Prosecutor Krista Breckweg said Shakir married the schoolgirl in an Islamic ceremony at a suburban Noble Park mosque in September 2016, giving her gold valued at $1480 as a dowry.
He knew the girl's age and was warned by child protection authorities against the wedding the day before the ceremony, Ms Breckweg said.
Child protection authorities even attended the girl's home and school to warn Shakir, the girl and the girl's mother.
Former Imam Ibrahim Omerdic, who officiated the ceremony, was sentenced in June to two months' prison for his role but was immediately released on a two-year bond. He is seeking a judicial review in the Supreme Court. [Australian Associated Press] Read more
