THE groom in a wedding broken up by the police denies it was a sham designed to help him stay in the UK.

Devine Abanda, 27, was arrested with his 'bride' Olivia Godefroy at Winchester Register Office in February 2014.

Prosecutor Michael Butt said it was a "sneaky little affair" yesterday at the trial at Winchester Crown Court.

But Abanda, a student from the west African country of Cameroon, insisted it was genuine.

Abanda told the jury he had met Godefroy, 22, originally from Gabon in west Africa, in London and started a relationship with her.

He said she had told him she was pregnant, and added: "I felt bad, because I didn't think it was proper for her to get pregnant and for me to get her pregnant when we were not married.

"Culturally to us that is not seen as a good thing. We decided to make a plan to get married."

When the police and immigration officials swooped at the wedding Abanda heard Godefroy being arrested for bigamy.

Abanda told the jury: "I felt terrible."

He denied entering into marriage to enhance his immigration status for staying in the UK.

He said he intended to return to Cameroon to run the family's supermarket chain.

Samson Ndaga, a chartered accountant with Ernst and Young who lives in Basingstoke, told the jury he was a longtime friend of the Abanda family.

He said: "He (Abanda) is a decent man" and he never thought there was anything suspect about the wedding.

Abanda denies conspiring to arrange a sham marriage as does co-accused Armand Djedje, 30, and Olivier Attie, 31.

Godefroy has admitted the conspiracy and bigamy.

The trial continues.