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England’s Stokes mimicked gay men with ‘camp gestures’: doorman
LONDON, Aug 7, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Ben Stokes made “stupid noises” and “camp
gestures” to mimic two gay men outside a nightclub, a doorman said Tuesday at
the England cricketer’s trial for alleged affray.
Stokes mimicked the “high-pitched” voices of William O’Connor and Kai
Barry, two regulars at Mbargo nightclub in Bristol, southwest England,
doorman Andrew Cunningham told Bristol Crown Court.
On Monday’s opening day of the trial, jurors saw footage of Stokes, 27,
brawling with 27-year-old Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale, 28, outside Mbargo in the
early hours of September 25 last year.
Stokes — who starred on Saturday as England beat India in the first Test
at Edgbaston — Ali and Hale each deny a charge of affray.
The prosecution said Stokes told police he intervened with Ali and Hale
because he overheard “nasty homophobic language”, then told police he acted
in self-defence when he thought he was about to be hit with a bottle.
He allegedly knocked Hale unconscious first, then Ali.
Doorman Cunningham, appearing as a witness, said Stokes and his England
team-mate Alex Hales had tried to get into the club but were refused as it
was after 2:00am.
Stokes offered œ60 ($78, 67 euros) and then œ300 to be let in, said
Cunningham — an offer he refused.
Stokes then got “verbally abusive,” mocking Cunningham’s gold teeth and
tattoos, in a “spiteful” and “angry tone”, the doorman told the court.
– ‘Taking the mick’ –
The doorman said “flamboyant” regulars Barry and O’Connor had left the
nightclub and were standing outside talking.
Stokes “started to take the mick out of them”, mimicking their actions and
“high-pitched” voices, he told the court.
“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.”
He said Barry and O’Connor did not appear angry.
A cigarette butt was then flicked at them and Cunningham said he stepped
in, before Hales turned to his friend and said, “Stokesy, don’t do that”.
– ‘Laughing, joking’ together –
Stokes’ lawyer Gordon Cole said Barry and O’Connor had been “taking the
mickey” out of Stokes’ shoes.
“Mr Stokes, Mr Hales, Mr Barry and Mr O’Connor are outside of the door of
Mbargo together — laughing,” Cole said.
“It presents a picture of four people together. It is not homophobic
behaviour, is it?
“For about six minutes, all together, laughing, joking, talking and then
they walk away.”
Doorman Cunningham suggested the cricketers “were laughing and joking at
them, not with them”, adding that Stokes “didn’t seem drunk”.
Police detective constable Daniel Adams was also questioned, agreeing that
footage showed Ali and his friend Hale holding bottles.
He alleged that cricketer Hales, who is not on trial, had “definitely used
his feet on three occasions” on Ali.
Film student Max Wilson, 21, who watched the scene unfold outside his
bedroom window before he began filming it, said the group of six men were
“clearly drunk” and sounded like “football hooligans”.
He told the court that he was surprised by the force of a punch thrown and
felt sorry for the man who was hit.
The trial, which began Monday, is expected to last between five and seven
days.
BSS/AFP/MRI/2327 hrs