Two men have been found guilty of assaulting a relative in an ongoing family feud, despite their claim that they acted in self-defence.

Nadeem Raja, 27, of Desmesne Furze, Headington, and cousin Mohammed Saeed, 43, of Swindon, were convicted of causing Shakeel Akhtar actual bodily harm by Oxford Magistrates yesterday.

But the magistrates decided their punishment powers were not sufficient.

They committed the case to Oxford Crown Court for sentencing on November 26.

The court was told the attack in Roosevelt Drive, Headington, on February 27, happened after Mr Akhtar's wife Farah Manzoor said her brother, Raja, assaulted her.

Mr Akhtar confronted Raja after seeing him in a van at traffic lights. Saeed was also in the van and the pair attacked Mr Akhtar until he lost consciousness.

Miss Manzoor and Mr Akhtar married in secret in December 2000 because of a family rift between Miss Manzoor's father and her uncle, who is married to Mr Akhtar's aunt.

Julie Hopkins, defending, claimed Raja had not seen Mr Akhtar for more than ten years and had no motive for assaulting him because he did not know about the secret marriage.

Miss Hopkins said Saeed was close to his cousin, Miss Manzoor, and had no reason to disapprove of her marriage because he was distanced from the family feud.

Both defendants, who have no previous convictions, said they carried out the assault in self-defence because Mr Akhtar approached them wielding a hammer.

Chairman of the bench Lyn Coleman said magistrates believed the defendants did know about Mr Akhtar's relationship with Miss Manzoor.

Mrs Coleman said : "We do not accept that there ever was a hammer.

"Both defendants gave differing accounts about how the hammer was held and it was not found in searches or observed by any witness."

The defendants were both released on unconditional bail until they appear at the crown court on November 26.