A once “revered” Muslim cleric who married off a teenage girl to a 34-year-old man in Melbourne has been spared jail despite calls to lock him up and send “a message”.

Ibrahim Omerdic wedded the 14-year-old girl and the older man during a ceremony in Noble Park last September, telling the girl she must “obey” her new husband.

The 62-year-old was arrested in November and found guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court earlier this month of unlawfully solemnising the marriage.

Omerdic was sentenced to two months’ prison on Wednesday, but immediately placed on a two-year recognisance release order, meaning he won’t serve time in jail.

“You performed a marriage between a high school student and an older man,” magistrate Phillip Goldberg said in his sentencing.

“Whatever the view is elsewhere, in Australia marriage is between adults.”

Omerdic was an imam of the Bosnian Islamic Society and Noble Park Mosque but was later sacked and had his celebrant licence revoked after his arrest.

Video footage of the ceremony was previously played in court, showing Omerdic telling the girl it was her “duty to obey” her husband.

“If (he) is happy with something, do it,” he is heard telling the girl in the shaky mobile footage.

“If (he) is not happy with something, don’t do it.”

A male voice can also be heard telling the child’s mother and her betrothed: “She’s very young.”

Omerdic fought the charge, claiming the marriage was not subsequently formalised under Australian law.

But the magistrate was satisfied the ceremony was completed and the marriage took place.

Prosecutor Krista Breckweg said the celebrant should be jailed in order to deter future child weddings.

“This offending involved a man marrying a child to an older man, knowingly,” Ms Breckweg said.

“There needs to be a message sent to the community that this will not be tolerated.”

The maximum penalty for Omerdic’s crime is six months’ jail or a fine of less than $1000, but the magistrate said the fine was inadequate for the seriousness of the crime.

Omerdic had previously had an “exemplary reputation” and was “revered” in his community, the court heard.

Defence lawyer Daniel Gurvich QC said the girl’s mother was at the ceremony, which was “not a pre-meditated criminal offence”.

“There was a degree of spontaneity, poor judgement and regret,” he said.

Omerdic did not speak as he left court but a woman with him said he did “nothing wrong”.

He must be of good behaviour for two years or else the two-month jail sentence could take effect.
-AAP