I knocked out 2 men who taunted gay pals
England cricket hero Stokes ‘feared attack with weapons’
ENGLAND cricketer Ben Stokes fought off an ‘attack with weapons’ after coming to the aid of two gay men being abused in the street, he told a court yesterday.
The all-rounder said he was acting as peacemaker to protect two men he had just met when he became fearful for his safety and a brawl ensued.
He lashed out at Ryan Ali, 28, and Ryan Hale, 27 – knocking both men unconscious – in an act of self-defence, he told a jury, having confronted them over their ‘nasty’ homophobic language towards Kai Barry and William O’Connor.
Stokes, 27, told Bristol Crown Court: ‘I initially got involved with a verbal altercation which turned into an attack which did involve weapons – a glass bottle was used as a weapon – which then turned into a fight.
‘Throughout the whole time that I was using any force it was in the complete belief that these two gentlemen – who I had never met before – were willagainst ing to use weapons again as they had already.
‘I didn’t know... they could be carrying more weapons on them. They could decide to attack me at any time if I was to turn my back on either of these two. While these two were in front of me I wasn’t going to let any opportunity to let these two individuals have that opportunity. At all times I felt under threat from these two.’
Having been denied entry to a Bristol nightclub on September 25 last year, Stokes and his England teammate Alex Hales – out celebrating a team win – started walking to a casino, the court heard. They encountered Hale and Ali around the corner.
Stokes claimed he overheard them using homophobic language Mr Barry and Mr O’Connor, although he couldn’t remember the words used.
He told the jury: ‘Mr Hale and Mr Ali were shouting homophobic comments towards these two and in return Mr O’Connor and Mr Barry were going back to them.
‘They weren’t obviously going to let them say what they were saying. I stepped in. [I said] “You shouldn’t take the p*** because they are gay”. I was told by Mr Ali along the lines of “Shut the f*** up or I will bottle you”.
‘As soon as I see Mr Ali swing the bottle at someone and physically hit them with it, that’s when I took the decision that I needed to get involved. I took a swing at Mr Ali. I was trying to stop Mr Ali from doing damage to anyone with a glass bottle.’
As father-of-two Stokes took the stand yesterday, he was watched by wife Clare Ratcliffe from the front row of the public gallery.
Stokes said he drank at least ten alcoholic drinks on the night of the incident, including two or three pints of lager and at least seven vodka-lemonades.
Asked by defence QC Gordon Cole if he was homophobic, Stokes said: ‘No, absolutely not. The only comments between myself and the gay couple was what we had chosen to wear that night.’
He also denied humiliating nightclub doorman Andrew Cunningham, adding: ‘I didn’t use the c-word towards him. I said to him, “Come on mate, I’ve got s*** tattoos as well, let us back in”.’
Mr Cole asked Stokes: ‘At any stage had you become enraged for any reason at all in the incident you had been involved with, from leaving [the club] Mbargo?’
Stokes replied: ‘I find it a difficult question to answer.’
He said he could not remember who he contacted following his arrest. He told jurors: ‘I was stuck in a bit of a problem as I wasn’t sure who was the best person to contact. Being a cricket player, I have a manager who looks after my stuff. I can’t actually remember who was contacted.’
Stokes, of Castle Eden, Durham, and Ali, of Bristol, both deny affray. The judge yesterday directed jurors to find Hale not guilty. The trial continues.
‘At all times I felt under threat’