Doorman: I felt Stokes was a bully to gay pair
Star mocked my teeth, says bouncer
A BOUNCER told a court yesterday how he stepped in when England cricket star Ben Stokes “bullied” two gay men outside a nightclub.
Doorman Andrew Cunningham said he took action after Stokes, 27, mimicked the pair and appeared to flick a cigarette in the direction of one of them.
He told the court: “I asked him, if you want to start on anyone, start on me. But he would not look at me, would not acknowledge me at that point.
“I do not like bullies, if you want to provoke someone provoke me, you don’t have to try and provoke other people.”
Video from the Mbargo nightclub in Bristol shows the interaction of Stokes and Mr Cunningham, 37, before the allrounder became embroiled in a punch up.
The doorman, who has four gold front teeth and is heavily tattooed, said Stokes began to abuse him after he refused to allow him and England teammate Alex Hales inside.
“The ginger one [Stokes] offered me £60 and asked me if that would get them in,” he told the jury of six men and six women at Bristol crown court. “He had a conversation with his friend and he said ‘£300 get us in’ and I still told them no.
“I told them I would not have a job to go back to in the morning.
“He got a bit verbally abusive towards myself. He mentioned my gold teeth and he said I looked like a c*** and I replied, ‘Thank you very much’.
“He mentioned my tattoos and how sh*t they were.
SPITEFUL
“He just looked at me and told me my tattoos were sh*t and to look at my job, which he obviously wasn’t happy about for keeping him out.” Stokes spoke in quite a “spiteful and angry” tone, he said. The footage was released yesterday on the second day of Stokes’s trial for affray, which allegedly took place in the Clifton triangle area of Bristol
He mentioned my gold teeth, said I looked like a c*** and my tattoos were sh*t ANDREW CUNNINGHAM BOUNCER ON BEN STOKES
last September 25. Mr Cunningham suggested Stokes was “bullying” the two gay men, William O’Connor and Kai Barry.
He claimed Stokes “provoked” and “laughed” at the pair when they left the nightclub after 2am
When Mr O’Connor and Mr Barry left, Stokes shook one bouncer’s hand, but Mr Cunningham refused.
In the footage, Stokes appears to gesticulate towards the bouncer and points at him as he walks away.
Mr Cunningham described Mr O’Connor and Mr Barry as “extravagant” and said they were acting in a “flamboyant” manner.
“The ginger guy picked up on this and started to take the mick out of them,” he told the jury.
“He started to mimic their actions. He didn’t speak, he just made noises to sound like them because they are quite highpitched guys.
“They are quite effeminate guys and their voices are different. He made noises to try to copy them, not saying anything, just making stupid noises. Just like hand gestures... camp gestures.
“They [Mr O’Connor and Mr Barry] just stood back. I do not think they were angry by what went on but they stood at the side.”
Gordon Cole QC, defending for Stokes, accused the bouncer of being “immediately aggressive” towards Stokes outside Mbargo, which he denied. Mr Cole suggested Stokes, Hales and the gay couple were exchanging “joking banter” which “was going both ways”. Mr Cunningham said two men – Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale, who are standing trial accused of affray with Stokes – left the Mbargo club and walked off with Mr O’Connor and Mr Barry. He claimed that Stokes became annoyed after he refused to shake his hand, then walked off with Alex Hales. Prosecutors allege that the trouble flared after Stokes and Alex Hales caught up with Ali, Ryan Hale, Mr O’Connor and Mr Barry on a nearby street minutes later. The cricketer is accused of knocking both Ryan Hale and Ali out during the fracas. Ali allegedly threatened Alex Hales with a bottle, with Ryan Hale said to have retrieved a metal pole from a street sign and brought it to the scene. Stokes claims he was acting in self-defence throughout and took action after Ali and Ryan Hale were homophobic towards Mr Barry and Mr O’Connor. But Nicholas Corsellis, prosecuting, told the jurors that Stokes was instead acting with “revenge, retaliation or punishment in mind”. Stokes, Ali and Ryan Hale each deny a joint charge of affray. The trial continues.