Prisoners Convicted Of Murdering Gay Men Just Got Married In Jail

Two men convicted of terrible murders -- one described as homophobic -- have become the first gay couple to wed in a UK prison.

Mikhail Ivan Gallatinov, 40, was jailed in 1997 after fatally strangling a 28-year-old man he met in a gay chat room.

At the murder trial, a judge said,

This was a cold-blooded, well-planned, callous, chilling and apparently motiveless killing.

Marc Goodwin, 31, went to prison 10 years later for the murder of a 57-year-old homosexual man during what was referred to as a "gay-bashing frenzy," according to the Mirror.

The Guardian reports the two are currently serving life sentences in Full Sutton prison in East Yorkshire, which is a high-security facility.

But they fell in love over the past two years, according to the Mirror, and had been waiting to get married ever since same-sex marriage was legalized in the UK in March of last year.

Inmates at UK prisons have been able to get married in jail since the passage of the Marriage Act of 1983.

An inside source at Full Sutton had previously told the Guardian  Gallatinov and Goodwin did not have difficulty consummating their relationship.

She said,

These two guys were on separate wings at Full Sutton and used to meet -- and have sex -- in the prison library. Then they managed to get on the same wing and had sex regularly.

Prison authorities accepted their application for a civil union and allowed the wedding to take place in Full Sutton's visitor area.

Dressed in jeans and T-shirts, the couple stood before a few fellow convicts, some family members and four prison guards they had personally invited for the 20-minute ceremony.

They then announced they were "soul partners" and would be "forever together" before signing the document that officially registered them as a married couple, according to the Mirror.

This was followed by a kiss and the cutting of a cake (with a small plastic knife).

They donned two identical metal bands they had ordered from a catalog.

Despite their union, the Ministry of Justice has declared Gallatinov and Goodwin must remain on separate wings of the jail and will not be sharing a cell.

Citations: Convicted murderers become first gay couple to marry in prison (The Guardian), Britains first gay prison wedding takes place as killers make history by tying knot behind bars (The Mirror)