'We didn't go looking for trouble with other family', court told

“We were not the aggressors, they were,” claimed Raja Roath, who with three members of his family is accused of affray. 

Roath admitted he had been “pretty drunk” after knocking back up to eight pints of beer on the evening in question.

He told the city crown court how other community members broke up an “altercation” with three members of the Potiwal family – Bucksheeth, Gurdev and Gurpal – at the Giddby Bridge pub.

After leaving he rang his mother to get a lift home but in Clovelly Road he and his cousin, Jaswant, were met by the three Potiwals, who were with others.

“I was quite worried and looked at Jaswant, who said something on the lines of: ‘Don’t do anything, don’t react’. 

“They were quite aggressive. I looked on the floor to avoid eye contact. Bucksheeth came towards Jaswant. 

“He was struck with something, I don’t know what.”

Roath said he was hit on the head and back. 

“I intended to stay down, I was scared,” he said. “I don’t remember much. I tried to run away. My |T-shirt was pulled.”

He told the court the fracas ended when others turned up and someone shouted: ‘That’s enough, stop’, but he didn’t know who said it.

Jaswant said he had received a suspended sentence the previous month and knew if he got into trouble he would be jailed.

He denied there was an arrangement with the Potiwals to fight in Clovelly Road and he wasn’t expecting any trouble. 

But when he entered the road Bucksheeth walked straight up to him and struck him on the left eyebrow with a bottle, the court heard.

“It made me dazed. I put my hand up to my head and I felt blood pouring into my hand.”

He said everything happened so quickly and he had no opportunity to get away, describing how he was kicked and punched on the back while on the floor.

Raja Roath, 25, Shakti Roath, 28, and Satnam Roath, also 28, all of Bitterne Road East, and Jaswant Roath, 30, of Bassett Avenue, deny affray.

Proceeding