STOKES IN COURT
England cricket star Ben Stokes brawl video shown to jury as court hears he ‘mocked two gay men for camp behaviour’
FOOTAGE of England cricket star Ben Stokes brawling outside a nightclub after he allegedly mocked the "camp behaviour" of a gay man was today shown to jurors.
Stokes, 27, knocked two men unconscious when he "lost control" on a night out in Bristol, it was said today.
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Bristol Crown Court heard Stokes had started mocking two "openly gay" men outside Mbargo nightclub.
Jurors were told the doorman then became concerned after seeing Stokes flick his cigarette butt at one of the men’s heads - causing teammate Alex Hales to interject.
Stokes, 27, is jointly charged with affray with Ryan Ali, 28, and Ryan Hale, 27, following the alleged brawl on September 25 last year.
He allegedly knocked Hale unconscious before doing the same to Ali - fracturing his eye socket - after he "started to attack with revenge, retaliation or punishment in mind".
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Footage obtained by The Sun and shown to jurors shows a man being punched to the floor, with Ali motioning a bottle towards Alex Hales before hitting out at Mr Barry.
Stokes then moves towards Ali and throws a punch before the pair are seen in the video grappling to the ground.
Jurors heard Alex Hales told his teammate: "Stokes, Stokes, that's enough".
Alex Hales tries to get hold of Stokes, who refuses to calm down, as Hale and Ali retreat from him with their arms out defensively, the court heard.
Stokes then hits Hale twice - the second punch rendering him unconscious - as Alex Hales tries to physically restrain Stokes before the cricket ace strikes Ali.
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As he was sat in the back of the police car, body cam footage showed him winking at Alex Hales, jurors were told.
The court heard Ali, who works for the emergency services, and Hale had been out separately from Stokes, who had returned to the club at around 2.08am.
When Stokes and Mr Hales were told the club was closed, Stokes said: “Will 60 quid get us in?”, which he upped to £300 when bouncer Andrew Cunningham refused.
It was said Stokes then told Cunningham: “Look at the state of your teeth, they make you look like a c***.”
Stokes also said Cunningham’s tattoos were s***, the jury heard.
Prosecutor Nicholas Corsellis told jurors “openly gay” Kai Barry and William O’Connor then left the club and chatted to Stokes and Alex Hales.
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He added: "Mr Cunningham observed Mr Stokes's behaviour towards them. He noted that he was mimicking their voices and mannerisms in what he described as 'a derogatory way' thereby making fun of their camp behaviour.
"The CCTV footage, which does not have audio, suggests that sort of behaviour with Mr Stokes copying hand gestures made by the men."
Cunnigham then saw Stokes flick a cigarette towards the men - prompting him to say: 'If you want to start on anyone, start on me'.
"Alex Hales asked why Mr Cunningham had become annoyed and when told by him that Stokes had flicked a cigarette at one of the men, he said 'Stokesy... don't do that'."
CCTV then shows Ali and Hale leaving the club and chatting to Barry and O’Connor before the foursome walk off.
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Mr Corsellis said it showed Mr Barry touching Ali inappropriately to his groin area, before returning and trying to take his arm.
"Mr Ali responds by pushing Mr Barry away, albeit with no significant force," he told the jury.
He also told jurors it would be an issue for them to decide whether the interaction between the men had simply been "banter or something more sinister".
In the meantime, Stokes shook the hand of a doorman and attempted to do the same with Cunningham - who refused to - which then seemed to enrage Stokes, it was said.
Mr Corsellis said: “[Stokes] was clearly frustrated and annoyed. He took to acting in a provocative and offensive way towards Mr Cunningham and then Barry and O’Connor.”
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Stokes had been staying in a hotel in Bristol with the England cricket team, while Hale and Ali were out together celebrating a promotion and had never met the cricketer before.
Mr Corsellis told the jury: "In the early hours of the morning of Monday September 25 2017, a fight took place between these three defendants in central Bristol in the area known as the Clifton Triangle.
"They were, the Crown say, all involved in threatening and/or using unlawful violence towards each other. Some participated to a greater extent than others as you will see.
"How precisely it started is only known by the defendants. The violence that erupted could actually have stopped very quickly and it would have remained a relatively minor incident.
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"But during the incident Mr Stokes lost his control and started to attack with revenge, retaliation or punishment in mind. Well beyond acting in self defence or defence of another.
"He knocked Mr Hale unconscious and then - after time to pause for thought, to calm - he did exactly the same to Mr Ali.
"Mr Ali received significant injuries, including a fractured eye socket, and required hospital treatment."
Mr Corsellis added: "This was not a trivial moment of unpleasantness. It was a sustained episode of significant violence that left onlookers shocked at what was taking place.
"A bottle was used at the beginning by Mr Ali and a broken street sign brought into the fray towards the end by Mr Hale."
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Eyewitnesses told jurors today they saw a group of men being "confrontational" and "acting like football hooligans".
Witness Laura Sweeney said at one stage she watched Hale pull a metal pole from a street sign and return to the alleged fight in an "aggressive manner".
She also said she was awoken to shouting and the words “Stop, please stop, I’ve had enough now” and possibly “I’m sorry.”
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Ali was taken to hospital after suffering a fractured eye socket, a cracked molar and bruising, while Hale sustained a one-and-a-half inch cut to his forehead and bruising.
Stokes was also checked over but had no obvious injuries other than a swollen hand, the court was told.
In a prepared statement to cops after his arrest, Stokes said he "felt the need to defend himself" and denied flicking the cigarette butt.
He also claimed he had witnessed the pair speaking to two gay men "in a harsh and abusive way" and was told "shut up or I'll bottle you" when he challenged them.
The all-rounder also told officers the force he used was “reasonable” and “justified” in the circumstances.
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Mr Corsellis said: "He said he decided to intervene and said 'Leave it out, you shouldn't be taking the p**s because they are gay'.
"He maintained that at all times he acted in self-defence of himself or others. He said that he believed that the force that he used was 'reasonable and entirely justified when the circumstances are viewed objectively'."
Jurors heard Ali had later told police he met Mr Barry and Mr O'Connor in Mbargo and "had their bottoms felt", which he put down to banter.
Drawing the prosecution opening to a close, Mr Corsellis says Stokes “did not desist even when others appeared to try and stop him, both physically and in words.”
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In terms of Ali, he said he was “involved in a sustained course of conduct involving unlawful violence", while he told jurors Hale involved himself "in a manner that was not justified".
He stressed to the court that it is "vital to keep an open mind" and not come to any conclusions.
Wearing a blue suit and red tie, Stokes was driven to Bristol Crown Court this morning in a silver people carrier this morning.
His wife Claire Ratcliffe, who is mother to Stokes' two children, was also in court to support her husband.
The pair wed in East Brent, near Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, on October 14 last year - less than a month after the alleged affray.
Potential jurors were asked by a judge whether they were "extremely committed" cricket fans who followed either the England or India teams but none put their hands up.
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The Durham all-rounder will miss this week’s second Test against India at Lord’s.
Stokes also missed the winter Ashes tour debacle after being arrested — although he was made available for the one-day series in New Zealand despite being charged.
The New Zealand-born Stokes issued his initial not guilty plea by video link from Auckland to Bristol in March.
England Cricket Board officials will be inside the court to monitor proceedings throughout.
Ben Stokes returns to England training for first time in months ahead of his trial over 'street assault' in Bristol
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He is also expected to be accompanied by a representative of the Professional Cricketers’ Association as well as his legal team.
The trial, expected to last between five and seven days, continues tomorrow morning.
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