Verona Fogarty, 29, fell head over heels for inmate Justin, 37, after they started writing letters and travelled all the way from Norway to Arizona to meet him
A woman has revealed how she married her prison pen pal in a visiting room and they even had each other’s names inked after just one week.
Verona Fogarty had been famously cursed when it came to romance. Following her most recent disappointment, when she was left waiting alone on Valentine’s Day, the 29-year-old pledged to avoid men entirely.
That remained the case until she encountered Justin Fogarty, 37. However, there was just one obstacle blocking their path – a series of prison bars.
The prison rehabilitation worker said: “He had tattoos up both of his arms. His interests were the same as mine: writing, reading and cooking. It had never been my intention, but I quickly fell head over heels for a criminal.”
Verona, from Norway, encountered Justin after registering to become a prison pen pal. It was an activity she discovered whilst browsing on TikTok.
As she felt strongly about rehabilitation and forgiveness, she decided to have a go. However, Verona had to correspond with a few frogs before discovering her prince.
She said: “A couple of family members had spent time in prison before turning their lives around. I talked to a few different people, but one guy seemed like he just wanted money from me so I stopped.”
Justin’s appeal started with his family-first approach. Verona said: “He said that he would send me some of his grandmother’s old recipes to try. Justin’s prison sentence was also in the name of his ex-girlfriend and her daughter.
“He’d been an addict and was struggling to support them. So he did an armed robbery with a fake gun. But since going to prison, he’d been working hard on himself, including studying for a degree in business administration. I was impressed by his determination.”
Before long, the duo were exchanging extensive correspondence. Then came the daily telephone conversations.
Following their mutual declaration of love, Verona embarked on the nearly 5,000-mile journey to Arizona, US, to meet him face-to-face in May 2025.
She said: “I hadn’t told any of my friends I’d been speaking with an inmate. I wanted to wait to see how it went before having that conversation. But I already knew, deep down, that it was serious.
“When I saw him for the first time, I instantly wrapped my arms around him. Usually, I have a problem speaking with people I hadn’t known for long; but it was an endless stream of conversation.
“We held hands and then on the final day of my trip, he got down on one knee. I couldn’t contain myself. But despite the excitement, it suddenly dawned on me that we had to go our separate ways again the next day.”
Upon telling her mates, Verona encountered worry and scepticism. She said: “I tried my best to explain, but it was no use. One of my friends told me I hadn’t always had the best taste in men – but she only wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to get hurt.
“A few relatives also judged me, so I’ve taken distance from them. I don’t care, though; I knew he was the right guy for me, so much so that I got his name tattooed on my foot and he got mine on his ring finger.”
Verona reached out to Justin’s relatives, who were delighted about their wedding. Justin, who is currently in the tenth year of a 13-year prison term, arranged their ceremony in the prison’s visiting area.
For the time being, Verona is focusing on his release and deciding where they’ll make their home together.
She added: “I don’t care if people think I’m being reckless. I believe people can always change and we’ve all got a right to a second chance.
“I think it’s easy for people to forget that people who go down the wrong path used to be sweet kids once; just like everyone else.
“I never imagined something romantic would happen between us, just safe, open talks, to someone I would never meet. It was strangely comforting. I don’t see him as my cellmate; he’s my soul mate.”