Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
‘Out of control’
Ben Stokes ‘mocked gay couple and floored 2 men after boozy night out’
push Mr Barry away. The court heard that shortly afterwards Stokes became involved in the apparent altercation with Ali and Hale, later saying he was coming to the defence of Mr Barry and Mr O’connor.
Student Max Wilson recorded the brawl on his phone. He said the group acted “like football hooligans”.
Mr Corsellis said: “He did not believe the initial shove came from either Mr Stokes or Mr Hales, but later in the incident he described how Mr Stokes continued to behave in an aggressive manner, ignoring Mr Hales’ attempts to calm him down.”
In Mr Wilson’s footage a man’s voice is heard shouting “enough, enough”.
The court was told Ali was seen holding a bottle, raising it and motioning as if to hit Mr Hales, but then striking out at Mr Barry. Hale and Ali seemingly tried to retreat but Stokes began throwing punches while Mr Hales told him “that’s enough”, the court was told.
Mr Corsellis added: “There’s a big difference between using violence to defend someone and… violence to retaliate or to punish the person who has had the temerity to attack you.
“This is what you see from Mr Stokes… everyone except him wanted to stop. Mr Ali moved away, Mr Hales was saying ‘Stokes, Stokes, that’s enough’, and tried to get hold of him on two occasions to stop the violence.
“This is retaliation, retribution, not self-defence.” The court heard that Hale said to Stokes “f***you”.
Stokes then knocked him out and CCTV shows Hale on his back.
Mr Corsellis said: “[Stokes] then turned to Mr Ali who had no weapon on him, on to the second assault on the second man.”
The court heard that Hale staggered to his feet, ran around the corner and levered a metal bar from a road sign, before racing back to the brawl, although it appears he never used it.
Ali and Hale, both from Bristol, were treated in hospital.
Hale had a 1.5-inch cut on his forehead. Stokes, from Castle Eden, Co Durham, had no obvious injuries except for a swollen hand.
Following his arrest at the scene,
Stokes said he acted in the way he did “because he was abusing my two friends for being gay”.
In a police car he appeared to be winking at Mr Hales, the court was told. When interviewed by officers in the days afterwards, Stokes gave “no comment” responses, later telling police in a written statement that he stepped in to defend “my gay friends” from Ali and Hale.
He claimed the brawl was sparked by “nasty homophobic language” by the two men he knocked out. The star’s statement added: “One of the males advanced and replied ‘Shut the f*** up or I’ll bottle you’.”
It also said: “Thinking he was about to be attacked, [Stokes] took hold of him and a scuffle commenced.
“He maintained at all times he acted in defence of himself or others.
“He said he believed that the force he used was reasonable and entirely justified when the circumstances are viewed objectively.”
Stokes, who was joined outside court yesterday by wife Clare, also said in the prepared statement to police that he was not aggressive towards the bouncer at Mbargo and he denied mocking the two gay men.
Durham player Stokes, who was England vice-captain at the time, also denied flicking a cigarette butt at Mr O’connor. The trial continues.