BROTHERS left bloodied and bruised after a feud spiralled into violence were the instigators of a brawl between two families, it was claimed in court today.

A barrister defending members of the Roath family, who are accused of affray, told jurors at Southampton Crown Court that brothers from the Pottiwal family were the aggressors before a violent altercation in Clovelly Road on April 13 last year.

Sarah Jones, who is defending Raja Roath, was quizzing Buckseesh Pottiwal, a witness to the brawl, when she suggested he and his brothers planned on causing trouble between the two families as they celebrated the Sikh festival Vaisakhi.

Giving evidence, Buckseesh, known as Bucky, told jurors he finished work at around 9pm that day and gave his cousin Gurmail Rathore a lift home from the Red Lion pub in Bedford Place, where he was celebrating with family, before returning to his home in Hartington Road, Southampton.

Ms Jones asked Buckseesh why he could give Mr Rathore a lift home when he lived in Northumberland Road, which she said was a ten minute walk away, and asked why he wouldn't get a taxi.

Buckseesh said: “Because I am his cousin and I am helpful.

“He doesn't like spending money. I picked him up purely because I am his cousin.”

Buckseesh said he saw members of the Roath family in the Red Lion pub through the window and feared trouble between the two families.

He told jurors he saw Jaswant and Raja Roath, known as Timmy, in the pub and called his brothers Gurdev and Gurpal, who were in the Giddy Bridge pub in London Road, after he dropped Gurmail home.

He said he called his other brother Upkar Pottiwal, who told him he was walking home with Balkar Pottiwal, another brother.

He said: “I called them to make sure they were safe and not near the Roath family.

“I wanted to make sure Upkar and Balkar were with them to make sure they were safe. I always look after my little brother. I wanted to make sure they were safe.”

But Ms Jones suggested the call was made to Upkar to gather reinforcements for any conflict between the families but Buckseesh said: “I didn't call them for reinforcements - we are not violent people.”

Previously in the trial Buckseesh said he was confronted by defendant Jaswant Roath after he refused to give him a lift that evening after he pulled up outside the Giddy Bridge to pick up Gurpal and Gurdev.

The court heard there was then a row between Jaswant Roath and Gurpal and Gurdev Pottiwal, who had left the pub, and Bucksheesh called the police, who later dispersed the incident.

Today he told jurors Balkar and Upkar arrived outside the Giddy Bridge to calm the situation and tell Gurpal and Gurdev to go home.

But Ms Jones said: “They needed to be told by older brothers to stop being silly and get in the car?”

Buckseesh said: “No because the Roath family had gone by then. The police had dispersed them.”

Ms Jones put it to Buckseesh that Gurdev and Gurpal saw Jaswant leave the scene by himself, adding: “Gurdev and Gurpal see he's by himself - they are like dogs on leashes, straining to get to him.”

Buckseesh said: “That's a total and utter lie.”

Ms Jones added: “Balkar and Upkar have to do all they can to try and get Gurdev and Gurpal into the case don't they? You have got Jaswant out walking by himself and Timmy nowhere around.”

Ms Jones then said Buckseesh chased a green Vauxhall Astra with a personalised number plate with the name Roath on it, which he denied.

The alleged incident came to a head in Clovelly Road minutes later, where it is claimed members of the Roath family attacked Gurpal and Gurdev.

Buckseesh told jurors he attempted to drive Gurdev and Gurpal home but stopped in Clovelly Road after seeing defendant Shakti Roath, and his father Balbir Roath, at the side of the road.

He said he was “petrified and scared” and called his uncle Balbir Pottiwal to talk to Balbir Roath to diffuse the situation.

He said: “I was scared because I didn't want it to go further on through the night.”

Ms Jones said: “There was one very simple thing you can do is to keep on driving - yes or no?”

Buckseesh added: “I spoke to Balbir Roath because he's always been understanding and I know he would understand and have had confidence in him speaking to his nephews.”

He told jurors he phoned Balkar and then the police because Jaswant and Raja ran towards brothers Gurpal and Gurdev, who had got out of the car, and started attacking them.

But Ms Jones refuted this, adding: “You called the police to look like you weren't the aggressors and didn't want to tell the police that you called Balkar and Upkar because it would make you look like they were the aggressors.”

Buckseesh added: “They were to stop it.”

Ms Jones said: “You and your family were the aggressors that night. You went about arranging a fight that night to get the Roaths into trouble.”

Raja Roath, 25, Shakti Roath, 28, and Satnum Roath, also 28, all from Bitterne Road East, and Jaswant Roath, 30, of Bassett Avenue, deny array.

Proceeding.