STOKES IN DOCK
Ben Stokes claims he was ‘talking to GOD’ in CCTV before street brawl arrest
ENGLAND cricket star Ben Stokes was looking up to the sky and speaking to God before he was involved in a street brawl, a court heard today.
The 27-year-old all-rounder continued giving evidence on the fifth day of his affray trial at Bristol Crown Court.
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He is accused of being the "main aggressor" and punching former soldier Ryan Hale, 27, and fireman Ryan Ali, 28, while on a night out in Bristol on September 25.
On Friday morning, CCTV footage was played to the jury which showed Stokes being refused entry to Mbargo nightclub because it was after 2am.
Nicholas Corsellis, prosecuting, asked him who he was speaking to when he was looking up at the night sky. Stokes replied: "God?"
He had earlier admitted downing Jagerbombs and the jury heard he had at least 10 drinks while celebrating England's win over the West Indies.
Stokes told the jury: "I recall I potentially had some Jagerbombs in Mbargo."
He added that "all of his actions were in self-defence" and that he reacted because he was ";fearing for his safety".
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Stokes said he "constantly felt under threat" from Ali and he described him as acting in an "aggressive and violent" way.
Mr Corsellis today suggested that Stokes's eyes were "glazed" and his speech was slurred in the footage recorded on a body camera worn by a police officer when he was arrested, which the cricketer denied.
Stokes also denied being out on a "mission" and said what he wanted that evening was a "good night" with his teammates.
The court heard the prosecutor suggest Stokes has a "significant memory blackout" regarding the night in question.
Stokes denied being drunk despite having at least 10 drinks and replied: "You could say that, yes."
He also refuted claims that he made a comment about doorman Andrew Cunningham's gold teeth and said that he told him: "Come on mate, I've got s*** tattoos as well."
New CCTV shows England cricketer Ben Stokes 'tossing a cigarette butt at gay man before street fight'
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Mr Corsellis said: "First of all Mr Stokes, you don't have s*** tattoos. You have spent a significant amount of money in the past on your tattoos.
"Three Lions on the back of your shoulder. The sleeves of tattoos to both left and right arms. They are not s***."
Stokes replied: "This one on my right arm, I really like it. The one on my back I tend to agree with the grief I get that it's a bit s***."
The footage recorded on the CCTV camera outside Mbargo was played to Stokes and Mr Corsellis suggested he had been angry, shouted and pointed at Mr Cunningham after the bouncer refused to shake his hand.
But Stokes replied: "I don't think you can tell if I'm angry."
When the prosecutor asked what Stokes was looking at, he said: "I might just be looking at the night sky" and then said he was trying to speak to God.
Video of incident involving England cricketer Ben Stokes outside Bristol nightclub
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Describing the incident, Stokes said today: "Throughout this whole incident my whole focus was where Mr Ali was and where Mr Hale was, from the moment I was verbally threatened and my friend Alex was run at with a glass bottle."
Mr Corsellis asked: "Were you enraged?" Stokes replied: "No, at this time my sole focus was to protect myself."
Mr Corsellis asked: "Is it what we see on the footage - an angry man who has lost all control?" Stokes replied: "Absolutely not."
Yesterday, the judge instructed the jury to find Hale not guilty, leaving just Stokes and Ali facing the affray charge.
Stokes started giving evidence yesterday and said he “got involved” after Ali ran at batsman Alex Hales.
And he said he confronted Ali and Mr Hale after he heard them “taking the p***” out of Mr O'Connor and Mr Barry “for being gay”.
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Stokes told Bristol Crown Court he had drunk “two or three” pints of lager and “five or six” vodka and lemonades but was not drunk.
In his evidence, Durham star Stokes told the court he had reacted after Ali started “waving” a bottle around.
He said: “To start off with he had threatened me, he then ran at one of my friends with a bottle threatening to hit him. I was trying to stop Mr Ali doing damage to anyone with a glass bottle.
"I remember taking a punch at Mr Ali, both of us rolling around the floor.
“I remember someone else coming up behind me and grabbing at me.
"One had already told me what he would do. I felt under threat by these two. He had ran at a close friend of mine with a bottle.
"As soon as I decided to get involved I felt that I was under threat and what I did was in defence of myself.”
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The star was again watched by wife Clare, 28 — mum to their two children — who has been sitting in the public gallery throughout the trial.
He was previously accused by the nightclub bouncer of homophobia by mimicking the gay pair and flicking a cigarette butt at one.
Stokes and Ali deny affray. The case continues.
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