England hero ‘mocked gay men before street brawl’
Ben Stokes ‘mocked gay couple and floored 2 men after boozy night out’
ENGLAND cricket star Ben Stokes mocked a gay couple and verbally abused a bouncer before knocking out two men, a jury has heard.
Stokes, 27, “lost control” after a boozy night out in a club, it was alleged.
He appeared in court yesterday with Ryan Ali, 28, and Ryan Hale, 27, who were both punched by the sportsman.
The first day of their affray trial heard that “aggressive” Stokes knocked out Army veteran Hale then put fireman Ali in hospital with a fractured eye socket.
But England all-rounder Stokes insisted his use of force was “reasonable and justified”, and claimed the brawl was sparked by “nasty homophobic language” by the two men he floored.
All three co-defendants deny affray. Prosecutor Nicholas Corsellis told the jury Stokes’ violence was “not a trivial moment of unpleasantness” and that the star “lost his control” and attacked out of “revenge or retaliation”.
The violence erupted in Bristol city centre last September.
Stokes and England teammate Alex Hales, 29, were out drinking in the hours after the team’s victory over the West Indies, while Ali and Hale were celebrating a work promotion.
HILARITY
All four were in the Mbargo club in the city but did not bump into each other until the early hours when trouble began on a nearby street, the jury heard.
Mr Corsellis said the cricketers returned to the nightclub after closing time at 2am and tried to get back in after they had left an hour earlier.
The court was told doorman Andrew Cunningham refused them entry – despite the pair offering £60.
Mr Corsellis said Stokes verbally abused the bouncer, telling him his gold teeth “make you look like a c***” and that his tattoos were “sh**”.
CCTV footage played to the court showed Stokes outside the club with Mr Hales. Stokes allegedly began to mimic two gay men – Kai Barry and William O’Connor – who had just left the venue.
Mr Corsellis said video showed Stokes throwing a cigarette butt at the Mr O’Connor’s head. The court was told the bouncer told Stokes: “If you are going to start on anyone, start on me.”
Mr Corsellis said footage showed Stokes and Mr Hales “sharing a moment of hilarity” at the expense of Mr O’Connor, before Stokes tried to shake hands with the bouncer. When
This is retaliation, retribution, not self defence. Everyone except him wanted to stop PROSECUTION LAWYER MAKES CLAIM IN COURT ABOUT STOKES’ BEHAVIOUR
Mr Cunningham refused, Stokes was caught on camera gesticulating wildly.
Mr Corsellis said: “It seemed to enrage him, the hand gestures, the head movement back. It all needs to be viewed in the context of the doorman, the mimicking of an openly gay man, that sets out his state of mind…
“Mr Stokes’ behaviour outside the club set a clear tone for what happened that night… He took to acting in a provocative and offensive way.”
Bristol crown court heard that Ali told police he and Hale met the gay couple in the club earlier in the evening and “had their bottoms felt” by one of them but that it was light-hearted.
However, the jury was told CCTV showed Mr Barry touch Ali “inappropriately” in the groin
area, prompting him to
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.