TWO men accused of arranging a sham marriage claimed they travelled to Winchester the day before the wedding took place on the promise they would be going to a party.

Armand Djedje and Olivier Attie denied claims they had arranged a hoax wedding between their co-defendant bridegroom Devine Abanda and his bride Olivia Godefroy in order to help Cameroon-born Abanda apply for leave to remain in the UK, a court heard.

Djedje, 30, who lives with two of his children at his home in Deptford, said: “[Olivia] said ‘there’s a party going on down there’ (Winchester). When I first asked her what sort of party is it she said ‘don’t worry about it, there’s gonna be a lot of people there’. Everyone loves parties so just thought I’ll go with it. She never mentioned nothing about marriage.”

He and Olivier Attie, 31, who claimed they play football together, told the jury Godefroy had invited them to Winchester after some of her companions had pulled out.

They said they were disappointed when they turned up to be turned away from a nightclub and instead found themselves having to take a room at the southbound service’s Days Inn hotel.

The jury heard the duo referred to as “the fixers” of the sham wedding.

Matthew Jewell, defending Attie, said: “It maybe suggested to you that you were minding Abanda.”

Attie responded: “Definitely not.”

The trial continues.