Ace Ben denies having problem with anger in street fight trial
CRICKETER Ben Stokes denied having a “problem” with his anger yesterday as he was quizzed about the night he knocked out two men.
The England star also dismissed a suggestion he was “enraged,” “very drunk” and “looking for a fight” after clashing with a nightclub bouncer.
Stokes, 27, was accused of hiding behind a “memory blackout” about what happened during the brawl in Bristol.
The Durham all-rounder floored former soldier Ryan Hale, 27, and emergency services worker Ryan Ali, 28, after they left the Mbargo nightclub with two flamboyant gay men.
Stokes told a jury at Bristol Crown Court he went to the aid of the gay couple as Mr Hale and Ali allegedly goaded them with “nasty” homophobic language.
During the confrontation, he claims Ali threatened to “bottle” him and raised a beer bottle as if to hit his friend and England team-mate Alex Hales.
In the commotion, Stokes was pushed to the ground and got to his feet with revenge in mind, the court heard.
The player and a group of England team-mates had gone to Bristol’s Mbargo nightclub to celebrate victory over the West Indies last September.
He had a bottle of beer in the changing room and three pints with dinner before sinking five or six vodkas at the club.
Stokes told the jury yesterday he also had “some Jager bombs” – a shot of herbal liquor mixed with Red Bull energy drink. He and Mr Hales left Mbargo and went to a bar called Prizm where he had at least two more vodkas.
They returned to Mbargo and Stokes clashed with a door supervisor when he refused to allow them back inside.
Nicholas Corsellis, prosecuting, asked: “You were actually really, very drunk weren’t you?” Stokes replied: “No.”
The two cricketers walked off moments after the gay men left the club with Mr Hale and Ali. Mr Corsellis accused Stokes of “seeking” conflict on the street after the clash with the bouncer. He told the player: “You have a problem with your anger, don’t you?” Stokes said: “No.”
Giving evidence Ali told the jury he had an “incomplete” recollection of the incident but denied being the aggressor.
Ali described the “banter” between him and Mr Hale and the gay men.
He said: “I recall we were in a group of four, having a laugh and the next thing I remember is having a tall blonde man charging towards me.
“My perception is that Stokes was very angry and looking for someone to pick on. I have a memory of calming down Mr Stokes. I thought I did because he turned away from me. He then turns to Ryan Hale who is unconscious on the floor.
“I saw that as an opportunity to try to restrain Mr Stokes from attacking my friend, who couldn’t defend himself.”
Stokes, of Durham, and Ali, of Bristol, deny affray. The trial continues.