TWO Southampton brides took part in “sham marriages” in a bid to flout UK immigration laws, a court heard.

Officials even stepped in to halt a wedding as one of the women prepared to tie the knot with her foreign national groom.

However Jolanta Gardynik said her marriage with Indian-born Rajpal Singh was for love.

Her co-defendant, Karolina Kosche, meanwhile admitted her marriage with Gurpreet Singh was not genuine.

Instead, she claimed she was coerced into marrying the Indian national, who initially came to England on a student visa.

The pair both pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to facilitate the breach of UK immigration law by a non-EU resident.

Opening the trial at Southampton Crown Court, prosecutor Tom Wilkins told the jury how Rajpal Singh arrived in the country in April 2012 on a student visa.

Rajpal’s visa was later shortened, from September 2014 to January 2014.

However on July 2014, six months after his visa had expired, he informed Southampton Register Office of his desire to marry Gardynik.

The pair booked their wedding for August 2014. But just weeks before the ceremony, police raided a flat in Lower Canal Walk, belonging to Justyna Sobieraj – who is accused of masterminding the alleged sham marriage.

In the property, police found paper containing personal information relating to Mr Singh and a folder with details about the proposed ceremony.

Just as Gardynik and Mr Singh prepared to tie the knot, immigration officers swooped on the Bugle Street venue and arrested him. He was later released and is said to still be wanted by authorities three years later.

Gardynik meanwhile was taken to a property in Winton Street, where the couple claimed they lived together.

Officers searched the “very small room” allegedly belonging to the pair, but said they found no trace of Mr Singh.

Gardynik was arrested in November in a property in Monks Way, Southampton, where she was said to be found living with a Polish man.

Police officers said she answered “no comment” to all of their questions.

Kosche married Gurpreet Singh, who originally moved to the UK in 2009 as a student.

After having his visa extended until August 2014, the Home Office later cut it to June that year.

But in February 2014, he visited Winchester Register Office with Kosche and the pair announced their intention to marry.

The duo, who claimed to live together in St Mary’s Road, tied the knot a month later.

Mr Wilkins told the court that Mr Singh had since been deported to India.

The trial continues today.