A couple jailed after a public brawl on their wedding night claim the melee began when a stranger punched the groom in the face outside their hotel room.

The newlyweds deny charges that the groom karate-kicked the bride or that he assaulted her in any way, said Robert E. Mielnicki, defense attorney for the groom, Dr. David M. Wielechowski. The 32-year-old Shaler dentist said the surprise interlopers were not rescuing his wife, they were attacking him and later attacking her as well.

The couple has been swarmed with worldwide media attention since Ross police filed criminal charges against them Sunday. Police reported that a female on the seventh floor saw the dentist kick his wife to the floor during a loud argument. Then two male hotel guests came to her rescue. Police said the couple punched and wrestled with the men, continued to fight them on the elevator and hurled metal planters at them when the fight spilled out into the lobby. The good Samaritans suffered lacerations; one also had a tooth knocked out and might have broken his thumb.

In an interview with the Post-Gazette yesterday, the groom's lawyer, Mr. Mielnicki, said the police account doesn't mesh with the facts he has gathered in the days since the incident at the Holiday Inn on McKnight Road.

Michael V. Worgul, defense attorney for Christa M. Wielechowski, also met Downtown with the subdued newlyweds and the groom's attorney yesterday but declined to be interviewed for this story. The groom also declined to talk after his lawyer advised him.

"I will concede that my client and his wife were probably making a lot of noise," Mr. Mielnicki said. "They were euphoric and intoxicated. They were being silly."

He said the pair was arguing loudly because Dr. Wielechowski, who was toting four six-packs of beer, couldn't find their room. The beers tumbled from the bag and Mrs. Wielechowski bent down to pick them up.

The groom's lawyer said the female witness who spoke to police "couldn't have been in a position to see" the karate-style kick that allegedly knocked the bride to the floor. Both the bride and groom have stated repeatedly to their lawyers that no such kick was ever dealt, he said.

Also, contrary to the police report, Mr. Mielnicki said four to five men assaulted the couple that evening, including the two "good Samaritans." He said, he believed "everybody involved in this was clearly intoxicated."

The noise from the couple's argument drew two or three men into the hallway from a nearby guest room. A man with no shirt on, who was not one of the Good Samaritans in the affidavit, asked if the bride was all right. She informed him repeatedly that she was fine.

The couple and the men "exchanged profanities," and the Wielechowskis crudely stated they wished to be left alone.

"The first blow was a sucker punch from a total stranger. It was unexpected, undefended, unanticipated and it hurt. For some unexplained reason, the man who had no shirt on punched my client in face," Mr. Mielnicki said.

A struggle ensued. Mr. Mielnicki said the bride got into the mix, trying to pull the men off her husband.

Eventually, the two "good Samaritans" dragged the bride and groom into an open elevator.

The lawyer said his client might have harmed the attackers in self defense: "He may have hit one of the guys. He made every effort possible to defend himself in that elevator.

He said his client may have thrown planters in the lobby and he believes the bride did so as well.

Police arrested the bride, and the groom was taken to UPMC Passavant in McCandless, where he was given a splint to wear on his ankle. He suffered a black eye and a red eyeball bruise, which were still noticeable yesterday.

The Wielechowskis were jailed in what remained of their wedding clothes and released several hours later on their own recognizance.

The couple returned to their home in Glenshaw, but have been besieged in the days since by TV news crews. Articles have popped up in British and Turkish Web sites and Dr. Phil has repeatedly asked to meet them.

Mrs. Wielechowski's 4-year-old son has not returned to school because several parents said they don't want their children in school with him.

Dr. Wielechowski hasn't returned to his dental practice, where reporters have also camped out. He has been eager to talk to reporters, his lawyer said, in hopes of clearing his name and resuming work.

He said police only had the "good Samaritans'" version of story. "How were they holding him off [her]? Were they restraining him with repeated blows to the face?" He added that his client is 5-foot-7 and weighs about 170 pounds. He said, investigators "didn't talk to us, they didn't try to talk to us."

But Ross police spokesman Sgt. William Barrett said yesterday the department stands by the facts in the affidavit. Officers have interviewed a number of additional witnesses since the incident, and their accounts support the charges. The investigation is continuing.

Police also said yesterday they tried to interview the couple after the incident, but they were too drunk to participate.

The Wielechowskis have a preliminary hearing scheduled for May 28 before District Judge Richard G. Opiela in West View. The groom faces three counts of simple assault, and one count each of criminal mischief and disorderly conduct.

The bride faces two simple assault charges and one count each of criminal mischief, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness.