Stokes ‘mocked gay men before fight’
World update
England cricketer Ben Stokes mocked two gay men and flicked a cigarette butt at one of them before brawling with two other men, a court has heard.
The Durham all-rounder, who will miss the second Test against India at Lord’s, denies affray.
Bristol Crown Court heard Ryan Ali, 28, and Ryan Hale, 27, were knocked unconscious by Stokes in Bristol on 25 September 2017. They also deny affray and are on trial alongside Stokes.
The fight outside a nightclub was “a sustained episode of significant violence” in which Stokes “lost control”, jurors were told.
Nicholas Corsellis, prosecuting, said Stokes, 27, had “knocked Hale unconscious and then - after time to pause for thought, to calm - he did exactly the same to Ali”.
The prosecutor described Stokes’s actions as “well beyond acting in self-defence or defence of another”.
The cricketer has maintained that “at all times he acted in self-defence of himself or others” and believed the force he used was “reasonable and entirely justified”. Bouncer Andrew Cunningham explained to the pair the club was closed and they would not be allowed in.
However, an “obviously upset” Stokes became “aggressive” and insulted Cunningham about his appearance, jurors heard. Cunningham said Stokes’s attention then turned to two “openly gay” men - Kai Barry and William O’Connor - outside the venue. He claimed the cricketer had mimicked their voices and mannerisms in what he described as “a derogatory way”. An eyewitness, Laura Sweeney, said she saw Hale pull a metal leg from a road sign and run towards the other men.
After he was arrested Mr Stokes was interviewed by police, and in a prepared statement said he saw two men speaking to two gay men in a “harsh and abusive” way. The statement said he “took exception to this and said ‘leave it out’”.
Hale then “grabbed and pulled” him, and Mr Stokes “felt the need to defend himself as he thought he was going to be attacked” and hit him “more than once”, jurors were told. In a second statement Stokes denied being “aggressive” towards Cunningham, accusing him of being “rude” and suggested he had a “chip on his shoulder”.
“He denied mimicking or behaving in a derogatory manner towards Barry and O’Connor, saying that they had engaged in joking with each other and denied flicking a cigarette butt at anyone,” the court heard.
The fight took place several hours after England had played a one-day international against the West Indies at the city’s County Ground. The trial continues.
The Wests Tigers have issued a hands-off edict to Penrith as the Panthers attempt to lure Ivan Cleary to the foot of the mountains as a replacement for Anthony Griffin.
Cleary has emerged as the Panthers’ No.1 target despite the fact he still has two years to run on his NRL contract at the joint venture.
Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe said he would not consider granting Cleary an early release with the highly-respected coach in the second year of his three-and-a- half year deal. “No mate we would not,” Pascoe said when asked if they would consider letting Cleary go.
It’s understood that Cleary has spoken to Panthers officials in the last few weeks and is the club’s No.1 target due to his relationship with his son, Panthers halfback Nathan. It would be an about-face from Cleary for him to cut-and-run on the Tigers and not see