A BLACKBURN businessman went through a bigamous third "marriage" after a whirlwind romance.

Blackburn magistrates heard Haroon Lorgat went through an Islamic ceremony with his new love in Morocco.

But he then went through a civil marriage in the UK while he was still married to his second wife.

And he used the divorce papers from his first marriage to convince the registrar he was free to marry.

Lorgat, 52, of Harwood Gate, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to marrying Nadia Denjelloun during the life of his wife.

He was committed on bail to Preston Crown Court to be sentenced on April 30.

Enza Geldard, prosecuting, said Lorgat and Miss Denjelloun married in March 2002 at Accrington register office.

She filed for divorce 10 years later and during those proceedings it transpired he was still married to his second wife.

"He married her in 1994 and didn't divorce her until February 2004," said Mrs Geldard.

"By then he had also married Miss Denjelloun. Prior to that ceremony he produced divorce documents from his first marriage which lasted from 1985 to 1990."

Jonathan Taylor, defending, said his client and his second wife had separated in 1999 and went through a Talaq, a Muslim dissolving of the marriage in 2001.

"It was also decided they would dissolve the civil marriage.

"My client accepts that because of all that was going on in his life at the time and, because it was an amicable separation, no pressure was placed on him to ensure the civil divorce went through."

Mr Taylor said his client formed a relationship with Miss Denjelloun who was from a wealthy family in Morocco and was working in Paris.

"He describes falling in love and a whirlwind romance which resulted in the Islamic wedding in Morocco," said Mr Taylor.

"He accepts that he entered into the civil marriage without bringing to an end the second marriage. He had fallen in love with the lady and didn't want anything to happen to stop them being together."

Mr Taylor said when the bogus marriage hit problems the full history came out.

He said Lorgat is the owner of a furnishings company, Casa Bella, which employs 12 people.

"He has to be punished but hopefully that will allow him to continue running his business," said Mr Taylor.

"The only benefit he got from this was to be able to live with the woman who, at the time, he loved."