It is a big deal if Stokes doesnt play as if it werent for him towards the end then England would not have won the first test match, so with him not being there would have been the difference between winning and losing.
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Ben Stokes found not guilty of affray [Update Post #508]
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It is a big deal if Stokes doesnt play as if it werent for him towards the end then England would not have won the first test match, so with him not being there would have been the difference between winning and losing.
Arham_PakFan
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Ben Stokes at Bristol Crown Court for fourth day of affray trial
Ryan Hale told police he believed Ben Stokes "could have killed him" in an incident outside a local nightclub, Bristol Crown Court heard on Thursday.
Stokes, 27, is on trial for affray, along with Hale, also 27, and 28-year-old Ryan Ali after all three were charged over an incident in the Clifton Triangle area of the city on September 25 last year.
The England all-rounder is alleged to have knocked Hale out during the fracas near the Mbargo nightclub.
All three deny the joint charge.
The court heard Hale's formal police interview on Thursday morning, with Stokes scheduled to give evidence later in the day - the trial is expected to last between five and seven days.
Hale told officers: "I had a constant headache which I'm probably going to go and get checked out again. It's the emotions of it all. The fact I've been attacked. Watching the video was shocking.
"I'm a dad. He could have killed me. I don't know why he didn't stop. You hear about it all the time - he could have.
"Just the way he was acting in the video, he could have beaten the living hell out of me. It's shocking to see someone doing that to someone who didn't do anything wrong. It's quite shocking to think that I've been put in a situation like that."
Hale, a former soldier, told police he, Ali and another man had been out celebrating his promotion at work and left Mbargo when the nightclub closed.
He said he and Ali were walking up Queen's Road with two gay men, William O'Connor and Kai Barry, when Stokes suddenly came running towards them.
"I remember two guys coming from the road and I remember saying 'I don't want no trouble'. I don't remember which order it was in. 'I don't want no trouble'," he said.
"Laid out on the floor. I don't really remember how it all happened from there."
Hale told police that a month before the incident he had suffered a mini-stroke - caused by an undiagnosed hole in the heart - that had affected his short-term memory.
"I'd had stuff to drink, I don't know how much, a lot. From the movement on the video, I am not acting like a drunk idiot," he said.
He said that as they walked up the road after leaving Mbargo there had been "banter" between him and Ali and Mr O'Connor and Mr Barry.
"The first thing he did was put his hand on my k***. I'm an ex-soldier, to me it's banter," he said.
"It did not offend me at all. He was pinching my a*** and I grabbed him and said 'You're coming home with me'. He said 'Just because I'm gay doesn't mean I'm going home with any other bloke'. He probably thought I wasn't going to be like that. I was like, it's fine, no problem, and just carried on walking."
Hale said that initially he thought Stokes had targeted him first but the video shows the cricketer going for his friend Ali.
"I remember saying 'I don't want any trouble'. Then he attacked me and Ryan (Ali) intervenes but clearly it was the other way round," Hale said.
"I just remember them crossing the road and there was a commotion. I don't know why it happened. I am pulling him off because he is going to cane his face in and the gay guys are trying to pull me away.
"I am telling him to stop. He is having a go at Ryan and I am trying to stop any fight, to stop him getting hurt. That's the moment I get smashed to the face."
Hale told police that he saw Stokes' England team-mate Alex Hales "stamp" on the face of Ali as he lay on the floor.
"They were kicking him in the face," he told officers during the interview, in which he had been cautioned but not arrested.
"I saw Hales with a flat foot, stamping on his face. I said 'Oi, oi, oi'. Hales runs off across the road. I grabbed Stokes, he is a big lad, and [I said] 'Leave it'."
Hale said Mr O'Connor and Mr Barry pulled him to help him up.
"I was the innocent bystander getting assaulted brutally for nothing, standing there with open fists being smacking around the place," Hale said. "There's no self-defence and he isn't defending anyone else."
http://www.skysports.com/amp/cricke...day-of-affray-trial?__twitter_impression=true
Ryan Hale told police he believed Ben Stokes "could have killed him" in an incident outside a local nightclub, Bristol Crown Court heard on Thursday.
Stokes, 27, is on trial for affray, along with Hale, also 27, and 28-year-old Ryan Ali after all three were charged over an incident in the Clifton Triangle area of the city on September 25 last year.
The England all-rounder is alleged to have knocked Hale out during the fracas near the Mbargo nightclub.
All three deny the joint charge.
The court heard Hale's formal police interview on Thursday morning, with Stokes scheduled to give evidence later in the day - the trial is expected to last between five and seven days.
Hale told officers: "I had a constant headache which I'm probably going to go and get checked out again. It's the emotions of it all. The fact I've been attacked. Watching the video was shocking.
"I'm a dad. He could have killed me. I don't know why he didn't stop. You hear about it all the time - he could have.
"Just the way he was acting in the video, he could have beaten the living hell out of me. It's shocking to see someone doing that to someone who didn't do anything wrong. It's quite shocking to think that I've been put in a situation like that."
Hale, a former soldier, told police he, Ali and another man had been out celebrating his promotion at work and left Mbargo when the nightclub closed.
He said he and Ali were walking up Queen's Road with two gay men, William O'Connor and Kai Barry, when Stokes suddenly came running towards them.
"I remember two guys coming from the road and I remember saying 'I don't want no trouble'. I don't remember which order it was in. 'I don't want no trouble'," he said.
"Laid out on the floor. I don't really remember how it all happened from there."
Hale told police that a month before the incident he had suffered a mini-stroke - caused by an undiagnosed hole in the heart - that had affected his short-term memory.
"I'd had stuff to drink, I don't know how much, a lot. From the movement on the video, I am not acting like a drunk idiot," he said.
He said that as they walked up the road after leaving Mbargo there had been "banter" between him and Ali and Mr O'Connor and Mr Barry.
"The first thing he did was put his hand on my k***. I'm an ex-soldier, to me it's banter," he said.
"It did not offend me at all. He was pinching my a*** and I grabbed him and said 'You're coming home with me'. He said 'Just because I'm gay doesn't mean I'm going home with any other bloke'. He probably thought I wasn't going to be like that. I was like, it's fine, no problem, and just carried on walking."
Hale said that initially he thought Stokes had targeted him first but the video shows the cricketer going for his friend Ali.
"I remember saying 'I don't want any trouble'. Then he attacked me and Ryan (Ali) intervenes but clearly it was the other way round," Hale said.
"I just remember them crossing the road and there was a commotion. I don't know why it happened. I am pulling him off because he is going to cane his face in and the gay guys are trying to pull me away.
"I am telling him to stop. He is having a go at Ryan and I am trying to stop any fight, to stop him getting hurt. That's the moment I get smashed to the face."
Hale told police that he saw Stokes' England team-mate Alex Hales "stamp" on the face of Ali as he lay on the floor.
"They were kicking him in the face," he told officers during the interview, in which he had been cautioned but not arrested.
"I saw Hales with a flat foot, stamping on his face. I said 'Oi, oi, oi'. Hales runs off across the road. I grabbed Stokes, he is a big lad, and [I said] 'Leave it'."
Hale said Mr O'Connor and Mr Barry pulled him to help him up.
"I was the innocent bystander getting assaulted brutally for nothing, standing there with open fists being smacking around the place," Hale said. "There's no self-defence and he isn't defending anyone else."
http://www.skysports.com/amp/cricke...day-of-affray-trial?__twitter_impression=true
Arham_PakFan
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Bodycam footage showing the moment cricketer Ben Stokes was arrested has been released.
The Durham all-rounder is one of three men on trial at Bristol Crown Court, accused of being involved in a confrontation in the city last September.
Jurors were shown the footage on Wednesday.
Ryan Ali, 28, and Ryan Hale, 27, have been charged with affray alongside Mr Stokes. All three deny the charges.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-en...&utm_campaign=Feed:+co/ppZX+(BBC+News+-+Home)
The Durham all-rounder is one of three men on trial at Bristol Crown Court, accused of being involved in a confrontation in the city last September.
Jurors were shown the footage on Wednesday.
Ryan Ali, 28, and Ryan Hale, 27, have been charged with affray alongside Mr Stokes. All three deny the charges.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-en...&utm_campaign=Feed:+co/ppZX+(BBC+News+-+Home)
the Great Khan
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if he gets convicted and sent to jail Ill eat a hat..its not happening..slap on the wrist and back on the pitch in no time..
Savak
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As this is the British Court System, I don't believe Stokes will get away with the reckless aggression he showed that night. What a sad way to throw away ones career. Arrogance can lead to your downfall in just a moments notice.
classic
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Notice how he asks the PC if their were any "social cameras" around. I am guessing he thought if their aren't ,then it'll be his word against theirs, too bad for him they were being recorded.
Zaz
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The cctv cameras of the incident and the events leading upto it dont look good
In no way judging from the video that did it seem stokes was defending himself and others
If anything he looks like the aggressor and using disproportionate levels of violence
In no way judging from the video that did it seem stokes was defending himself and others
If anything he looks like the aggressor and using disproportionate levels of violence
Yossarian
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Leeds United footballers (when Leeds were a major Premiership club) Jonathan Woodgate and Lee Bowyer attacked an Asian student Sarfraz Najeib, who was kicked and punched unconscious in Mill Hill, Leeds, in January 2001. He suffered two black eyes, cuts to his head, a bite mark to his right cheek, a fractured leg, broken nose and fractured cheekbone.
Despite witnesses and CCTV evidence, Lee Bowyer walked free after being cleared of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and affray.
Jonathan Woodgate was given 100 hours community service after being found guilty of affray. He was cleared of the more serious charge of grievous bodily harm with intent.
Woodgate was later signed by Real Madrid from Newcastle Utd for £13.4 million (equivalent to £70 million - £80 million defender in todays football transfer fees)
In 2009, Steven Gerrard was found not guilty of attacking and beating up businessman Marcus McGee after a row over music in a bar. CCTV footage clearly showed Gerrard attacking McGee.
Gerrard became furious that his request was refused and "lost it", punching Mr McGee "with the style and speed of a professional boxer".
At Liverpool Crown Court, Gerrard denied affray and said he was acting in self-defence, having mistakenly believed Mr McGee was about to attack him.
So if you're a famous sportsman, and despite witnesses and CCTV evidence showing otherwise, the likelihood of you being found guilty is not that high.
Stokes should have been charged with ABH. Instead he's only charged with affray. He'll probably get away with it, either by being found not guilty, or if found guilty, by having a meaningful sentence like 100 hours 'community service' (which he'll probably do by giving a few talks at a few schools).
Yossarian
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Yeah I missed that one.
He reminds of a famous footballer who has a similar accent and who was also acquitted of similar charges, but I can't remember who it was ....
Sherlock
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Yeah I missed that one.
He reminds of a famous footballer who has a similar accent and who was also acquitted of similar charges, but I can't remember who it was ....
Gerrard
Arham_PakFan
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The England cricketer Ben Stokes has told a jury he had drunk at least seven vodka and mixer drinks and “two or three pints” of beer during a night that ended in a street brawl.
Taking to the witness box for the first time during his trial for affray, Stokes said he only engaged in a fight because he was protecting a fellow England player, Alex Hales, and a gay couple the pair had met earlier in the evening outside a nightclub.
The 27-year-old started throwing punches after seeing Ryan Ali, 28, waving a beer bottle and moving threateningly towards Hales, a jury heard. He said he was aware Ali’s friend Ryan Hale, a former serviceman, was also holding a glass beer bottle and that he had heard the pair directing homophobic abuse at “camp” couple William O’Connor and Kai Barry.
“Mr Ali was running towards Alex with the bottle above his head like he was going to hit him,” Stokes said. “I tried to get between Alex and Mr Ali and then Mr Ali turned around and swung at one of the gay couple with a bottle.
“As soon as I’ve seen Mr Ali physically hit someone, that’s when I took the decision I needed to get involved. I felt under threat and whatever I did was to keep myself and other people around me safe.”
Stokes said he had been drinking before the incident in September last year but was not drunk. He had consumed “some” beer at Bristol county ground after England beat the West Indies.
After driving back to the team hotel, a group of three or four players and some of their partners, including Stokes and his then fiancee, now wife, Clare Ratcliffe, had dinner where a further “two or three” pints were consumed by Stokes.
Several players visited Mbargo nightclub in the city, where Stokes said he had “five or six” vodka and lemonade drinks. He and Hales later visited Pryzm nightclub, a short taxi ride away where Stokes had “probably more than one” vodka drink before the pair returned to Mbargo at 2.08am where they were denied entry because the door staff said it was too late.
Stokes told a jury the pair then met O’Connor and Barry outside the club and that they exchanged light hearted insults about each other’s attire but denied mimicking the couple’s “flamboyant” gestures in a homophobic manner, as suggested by the prosecution. A pair of bright white leather trainers with gold padlocks attached to the heel were shown to the court by Gordon Cole QC, representing Stokes.
“I get told from quite a lot of teammates that I dress the worst in team,” Stokes said, “I’m used to it.”
The jury heard the cricketers used a smartphone to try to navigate their way to a casino before encountering co-defendant Ali, along with Hale, O’Connor and Barry.
“I don’t remember specific words but it was very clear that the words being used towards these two gentlemen were about them being gay,” Stokes said. The exchange turned physical with Ali, who was knocked unconscious by a blow to the head from Stokes, receiving hospital treatment for facial injuries, including a fractured eye socket and cracked tooth.
It was ruled there was not enough evidence to support a conviction of Hale, an Afghanistan veteran, who had also been charged with affray but was found not guilty by a jury on the instructions of the judge, Peter Blair QC.
Hale told police officers he feared Stokes “could have killed” somebody during the fight. “It’s the emotions of it all,” he said in a police interview last September. “Watching the video was shocking. I’m a dad. He could have killed. I don’t know why he didn’t stop. The way he was acting in the video, he could have beaten the living hell out of me.
“It’s shocking to see someone doing that to someone who didn’t do anything wrong. It’s quite shocking to think that I’ve been put in a situation like that.”
Stokes, of Castle Eden, Durham, and Ali, of Bristol, deny affray.
The trial continues.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...rected-to-find-ryan-hale-not-guilty-of-affray
Taking to the witness box for the first time during his trial for affray, Stokes said he only engaged in a fight because he was protecting a fellow England player, Alex Hales, and a gay couple the pair had met earlier in the evening outside a nightclub.
The 27-year-old started throwing punches after seeing Ryan Ali, 28, waving a beer bottle and moving threateningly towards Hales, a jury heard. He said he was aware Ali’s friend Ryan Hale, a former serviceman, was also holding a glass beer bottle and that he had heard the pair directing homophobic abuse at “camp” couple William O’Connor and Kai Barry.
“Mr Ali was running towards Alex with the bottle above his head like he was going to hit him,” Stokes said. “I tried to get between Alex and Mr Ali and then Mr Ali turned around and swung at one of the gay couple with a bottle.
“As soon as I’ve seen Mr Ali physically hit someone, that’s when I took the decision I needed to get involved. I felt under threat and whatever I did was to keep myself and other people around me safe.”
Stokes said he had been drinking before the incident in September last year but was not drunk. He had consumed “some” beer at Bristol county ground after England beat the West Indies.
After driving back to the team hotel, a group of three or four players and some of their partners, including Stokes and his then fiancee, now wife, Clare Ratcliffe, had dinner where a further “two or three” pints were consumed by Stokes.
Several players visited Mbargo nightclub in the city, where Stokes said he had “five or six” vodka and lemonade drinks. He and Hales later visited Pryzm nightclub, a short taxi ride away where Stokes had “probably more than one” vodka drink before the pair returned to Mbargo at 2.08am where they were denied entry because the door staff said it was too late.
Stokes told a jury the pair then met O’Connor and Barry outside the club and that they exchanged light hearted insults about each other’s attire but denied mimicking the couple’s “flamboyant” gestures in a homophobic manner, as suggested by the prosecution. A pair of bright white leather trainers with gold padlocks attached to the heel were shown to the court by Gordon Cole QC, representing Stokes.
“I get told from quite a lot of teammates that I dress the worst in team,” Stokes said, “I’m used to it.”
The jury heard the cricketers used a smartphone to try to navigate their way to a casino before encountering co-defendant Ali, along with Hale, O’Connor and Barry.
“I don’t remember specific words but it was very clear that the words being used towards these two gentlemen were about them being gay,” Stokes said. The exchange turned physical with Ali, who was knocked unconscious by a blow to the head from Stokes, receiving hospital treatment for facial injuries, including a fractured eye socket and cracked tooth.
It was ruled there was not enough evidence to support a conviction of Hale, an Afghanistan veteran, who had also been charged with affray but was found not guilty by a jury on the instructions of the judge, Peter Blair QC.
Hale told police officers he feared Stokes “could have killed” somebody during the fight. “It’s the emotions of it all,” he said in a police interview last September. “Watching the video was shocking. I’m a dad. He could have killed. I don’t know why he didn’t stop. The way he was acting in the video, he could have beaten the living hell out of me.
“It’s shocking to see someone doing that to someone who didn’t do anything wrong. It’s quite shocking to think that I’ve been put in a situation like that.”
Stokes, of Castle Eden, Durham, and Ali, of Bristol, deny affray.
The trial continues.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...rected-to-find-ryan-hale-not-guilty-of-affray
Yossarian
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So you really thought I was being serious in saying "... but I can't remember who he was ...
" ?
Yossarian
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https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...o-nightclub-england-cricket-gay-a8485941.html
Look at the arrogance of the man! And he's saying this in front of a jury.
Last edited by a moderator:
DeadBall
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Ben Stokes trial: Cricketer 'not threatening or aggressive'
England cricketer Ben Stokes admitted throwing several punches at a man outside a nightclub in Bristol, a jury has heard.
The Durham all-rounder, who denies affray, has taken to the stand for a second day at Bristol Crown Court.
Mr Stokes, 27, said: "It's clear in my statements that I admit to throwing multiple punches."
He is on trial alongside Ryan Ali, 28, who the cricketer is alleged to have knocked out, outside the Mbargo club.
Mr Ali has also denied a charge of affray while Ryan Hale, 27, was acquitted of the same charge on Thursday.
Mr Stokes told the court he felt "constantly under threat" by Mr Ali and Mr Hale who he claims made homophobic slurs to two gay men, Kai Barry and William O'Connor.
But when questioned by the prosecution, he admitted "slapping" but not knocking out Mr Ali or being very drunk.
Media captionFootage from the arresting officer's bodycam was shown to the jury at Mr Stokes' trial
He agreed he had had at least 10 drinks, including pints of beer, vodka and lemonade as well as "a few" Jagerbombs, which are shots usually mixed with energy drinks.
Under cross-examination by Mr Ali's defence counsel, he was questioned whether he had misheard what was being said.
But, he maintained Mr Ali and Mr Hale made homophobic comments outside the club in the Clifton triangle area of Bristol during the early hours of 25 September last year.
Mr Stokes told the jury he was not "threatening or aggressive" towards the men.
"I'd say I was verbally saying 'I don't think you should be saying that to these two guys because they're gay'," he said.
He also said he could not remember the specific homophobic words used.
"As I've said I can't recollect anything specific, but I'm very clear the words used were a homophobic nature."
As the prosecution began its cross-examination of the cricketer, the jury was shown CCTV pictures from outside Mbargo, where he was denied entry.
Mr Stokes admitted trying to bribe doorman Andrew Cunningham with £60 to get in, but denied it was as much as £300.
He also denied being spiteful and aggressive or making derogatory marks about the doorman's tattoos or throwing a cigarette in his direction when he was refused entry.
The court heard Mr Cunningham perceived Mr Stokes as "mocking" the gay men's mannerisms" and mimicking "their voices and effeminate nature", which the defendant refuted.
The jury was shown CCTV footage apparently showing the men involved - including Ben Stokes - in a fight in the street
Mr Stokes also denied being angry about not being allowed back into the club, where he was with fellow England player Alex Hales.
The court heard Mr Stokes had first played with Mr Hales in 2011, prompting prosecutor Nicholas Corsellis to suggest "you'd recognise his voice would you not?". The defendant agreed he would.
But when Mr Corsellis asked whether he heard Mr Hales call out to him, "Stokes stop, Stokes no…", during the incident, he said he did not.
"Did you not appreciate that the person who grabbed you by the arm was Alex Hales? Do you not remember he tried to grab you?," said Mr Corsellis, to which Mr Stokes said "no."
The cricketer also denied feeling enraged when his friend, Mr Hales was "ran at with a glass bottle" by Mr Ali.
Mr Stokes replied: "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."
Ben Stokes's attire, demeanour, speech and poise have all remained the same throughout several hours of giving evidence.
Most of the time he remains standing, with the occasional request to sit which eases the back pain he is apparently suffering with.
Many of his responses have been short and mostly themed around having little memory of the night he is being quizzed over.
Prosecuting, Mr Corsellis asked: "Were you enraged?".
"No, at this time my sole focus was to protect myself," Mr Stokes replied.
He was then asked by the prosecution whether he tried to retaliate against Mr Ali after being disarmed by him, which he denied.
Mr Corsellis asked: "Is it what we see on the footage - an angry man who has lost all control?"
Stokes replied: "Absolutely not."
The trial continues.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-45140713
England cricketer Ben Stokes admitted throwing several punches at a man outside a nightclub in Bristol, a jury has heard.
The Durham all-rounder, who denies affray, has taken to the stand for a second day at Bristol Crown Court.
Mr Stokes, 27, said: "It's clear in my statements that I admit to throwing multiple punches."
He is on trial alongside Ryan Ali, 28, who the cricketer is alleged to have knocked out, outside the Mbargo club.
Mr Ali has also denied a charge of affray while Ryan Hale, 27, was acquitted of the same charge on Thursday.
Mr Stokes told the court he felt "constantly under threat" by Mr Ali and Mr Hale who he claims made homophobic slurs to two gay men, Kai Barry and William O'Connor.
But when questioned by the prosecution, he admitted "slapping" but not knocking out Mr Ali or being very drunk.
Media captionFootage from the arresting officer's bodycam was shown to the jury at Mr Stokes' trial
He agreed he had had at least 10 drinks, including pints of beer, vodka and lemonade as well as "a few" Jagerbombs, which are shots usually mixed with energy drinks.
Under cross-examination by Mr Ali's defence counsel, he was questioned whether he had misheard what was being said.
But, he maintained Mr Ali and Mr Hale made homophobic comments outside the club in the Clifton triangle area of Bristol during the early hours of 25 September last year.
Mr Stokes told the jury he was not "threatening or aggressive" towards the men.
"I'd say I was verbally saying 'I don't think you should be saying that to these two guys because they're gay'," he said.
He also said he could not remember the specific homophobic words used.
"As I've said I can't recollect anything specific, but I'm very clear the words used were a homophobic nature."
As the prosecution began its cross-examination of the cricketer, the jury was shown CCTV pictures from outside Mbargo, where he was denied entry.
Mr Stokes admitted trying to bribe doorman Andrew Cunningham with £60 to get in, but denied it was as much as £300.
He also denied being spiteful and aggressive or making derogatory marks about the doorman's tattoos or throwing a cigarette in his direction when he was refused entry.
The court heard Mr Cunningham perceived Mr Stokes as "mocking" the gay men's mannerisms" and mimicking "their voices and effeminate nature", which the defendant refuted.
The jury was shown CCTV footage apparently showing the men involved - including Ben Stokes - in a fight in the street
Mr Stokes also denied being angry about not being allowed back into the club, where he was with fellow England player Alex Hales.
The court heard Mr Stokes had first played with Mr Hales in 2011, prompting prosecutor Nicholas Corsellis to suggest "you'd recognise his voice would you not?". The defendant agreed he would.
But when Mr Corsellis asked whether he heard Mr Hales call out to him, "Stokes stop, Stokes no…", during the incident, he said he did not.
"Did you not appreciate that the person who grabbed you by the arm was Alex Hales? Do you not remember he tried to grab you?," said Mr Corsellis, to which Mr Stokes said "no."
The cricketer also denied feeling enraged when his friend, Mr Hales was "ran at with a glass bottle" by Mr Ali.
Mr Stokes replied: "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."
Ben Stokes's attire, demeanour, speech and poise have all remained the same throughout several hours of giving evidence.
Most of the time he remains standing, with the occasional request to sit which eases the back pain he is apparently suffering with.
Many of his responses have been short and mostly themed around having little memory of the night he is being quizzed over.
Prosecuting, Mr Corsellis asked: "Were you enraged?".
"No, at this time my sole focus was to protect myself," Mr Stokes replied.
He was then asked by the prosecution whether he tried to retaliate against Mr Ali after being disarmed by him, which he denied.
Mr Corsellis asked: "Is it what we see on the footage - an angry man who has lost all control?"
Stokes replied: "Absolutely not."
The trial continues.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-45140713
Sherlock
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So you really thought I was being serious in saying "... but I can't remember who he was ...
Well duh, hence the name
Sherlock
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I'm going back and forth in what I feel Stokes might get. It's such a riveting case.
Stokes's own evidence was so weak that I am surprised he pleaded not guilty to begin with. It is also quite interesting that, as far as I know, the two gay men who allegedly said Stokes was a "hero" after the incident did not have the decency to come to court and say as much. I can only assume they do not want to perjure themselves.
Sherlock
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Were they actual quotes by the media, or did the media just claim they said those things?
James
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If Stokes is found Not Guilty, I will have to assume that some kind of corruption or compromised practice has taken place. The evidence against him is already stacking up higher than the Tower of Babel.
Im not sure; I only read about it in one of the threads on this site. If it was in the English media then it is probably true that they said it. But regardless of whether or not they said it, the jury should certainly read into their absence from the trial. It points to the fact that Stokes is lying to them.
Affray is about the fear caused to other people in the vicinity of the violence. If the guy who tried to bottle someone then proceeded to arm himself a second time by ripping apart a road sign in the street isn't guilty of that then it wouldn't exactly be surprising for Stokes to be found not guilty of it as well.
UN talkz
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Ben Stokes trial: Cricketer 'lied about self-defence'
England cricketer Ben Stokes lied when he said he acted in self-defence during a fight outside a nightclub, a court has heard.
The Durham all-rounder, 27, who denies affray, is on trial at Bristol Crown Court.
Prosecutor Nicholas Corsellis said Mr Stokes "acted deplorably as the red mist came down".
The cricketer is on trial alongside Ryan Ali, 28, whom he is alleged to have knocked out outside Mbargo.
Mr Ali has also denied affray while Ryan Hale, 27, was acquitted of the same charge last Thursday.
Giving his closing speech, Mr Corsellis told the jury Mr Stokes acted "to defend himself or in defence of another" when Mr Ali had a bottle in his hand, but then "quickly turned aggressor".
"Even if Mr Stokes has begun using self-defence, he very, very quickly after this became the aggressor, with Mr Hale trying to pacify him together with Mr Ali," Mr Corsellis said.
"He was pursuing them into the road, repeatedly punching at them at least six times, with his teammate Alex Hales calling him away 'Stokes... Stokes... stop... stop...'.
"If Mr Stokes was being tried alone, we submit that his behaviour would constitute an affray.
"It is plain Mr Stokes is lying."
'Complete nonsense'
Mr Corsellis added that Mr Stokes "acted deplorably as the red mist came down and struck with such force that he rendered one person unconscious".
During his closing speech, Mr Stokes's barrister Gordon Cole QC said it was "compete nonsense" for the prosecution to say the cricketer was "drunk and enraged".
He said CCTV footage from just before the fight showed he was "not behaving in a drunk way".
He added that footage recorded by film student Max Wilson "clearly shows Ryan Ali going at Alex Hales with a bottle".
"You can see where Ben Stokes is, he's not rushing at anybody, he's not charging into the fray."
'Special treatment'
Mr Cole said there had been a "great deal of rowing back" by the prosecution since the trial began.
"Is this man [Mr Stokes] getting special treatment because of who he is?" Mr Cole asked.
"Is this man being focused on because of who he is?"
Last week, giving evidence, the cricketer said he "stepped in" to defend two gay men before the fight in Bristol on 25 September last year.
Mr Stokes, of Castle Eden, Durham, was arrested in the early hours along with Mr Ali, of Bristol, and Mr Hale, of Westbury-on-Trym.
The fight took place several hours after England had played a one-day international against the West Indies at the city's County Ground.
The trial continues.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-45169488
England cricketer Ben Stokes lied when he said he acted in self-defence during a fight outside a nightclub, a court has heard.
The Durham all-rounder, 27, who denies affray, is on trial at Bristol Crown Court.
Prosecutor Nicholas Corsellis said Mr Stokes "acted deplorably as the red mist came down".
The cricketer is on trial alongside Ryan Ali, 28, whom he is alleged to have knocked out outside Mbargo.
Mr Ali has also denied affray while Ryan Hale, 27, was acquitted of the same charge last Thursday.
Giving his closing speech, Mr Corsellis told the jury Mr Stokes acted "to defend himself or in defence of another" when Mr Ali had a bottle in his hand, but then "quickly turned aggressor".
"Even if Mr Stokes has begun using self-defence, he very, very quickly after this became the aggressor, with Mr Hale trying to pacify him together with Mr Ali," Mr Corsellis said.
"He was pursuing them into the road, repeatedly punching at them at least six times, with his teammate Alex Hales calling him away 'Stokes... Stokes... stop... stop...'.
"If Mr Stokes was being tried alone, we submit that his behaviour would constitute an affray.
"It is plain Mr Stokes is lying."
'Complete nonsense'
Mr Corsellis added that Mr Stokes "acted deplorably as the red mist came down and struck with such force that he rendered one person unconscious".
During his closing speech, Mr Stokes's barrister Gordon Cole QC said it was "compete nonsense" for the prosecution to say the cricketer was "drunk and enraged".
He said CCTV footage from just before the fight showed he was "not behaving in a drunk way".
He added that footage recorded by film student Max Wilson "clearly shows Ryan Ali going at Alex Hales with a bottle".
"You can see where Ben Stokes is, he's not rushing at anybody, he's not charging into the fray."
'Special treatment'
Mr Cole said there had been a "great deal of rowing back" by the prosecution since the trial began.
"Is this man [Mr Stokes] getting special treatment because of who he is?" Mr Cole asked.
"Is this man being focused on because of who he is?"
Last week, giving evidence, the cricketer said he "stepped in" to defend two gay men before the fight in Bristol on 25 September last year.
Mr Stokes, of Castle Eden, Durham, was arrested in the early hours along with Mr Ali, of Bristol, and Mr Hale, of Westbury-on-Trym.
The fight took place several hours after England had played a one-day international against the West Indies at the city's County Ground.
The trial continues.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-45169488
UN talkz
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Ben Stokes and Alex Hales will face a Cricket Disciplinary Committee (CDC) hearing following the conclusion of Stokes’ trial for affray.
Stokes is accused of affray along with Ryan Ali, 28, and is currently standing trial at Bristol Crown Court. Both deny the charges.
The charges follow an altercation outside a Bristol nightclub on September 25 last year.
Jurors in the case were informed by the judge on Monday they are likely to begin deliberations later in the day, once closing speeches by the prosecution and defence teams have been heard.
Regardless of the outcome, both Stokes and Hales will face a CDC hearing.
The CDC will convene within 48 hours of the conclusion of the legal process.
If Stokes is found not guilty, it will be within two days of the moment he leaves court. If he is found guilty, it will be once the judge has completed the process of sentencing by the court.
Sky Sports News understands the CDC would wish to deliver its verdict on Stokes and Hales within a week of beginning their investigation.
The CDC operates independently from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) but it is funded by them.
Stokes played in England's first-Test victory over India at Edgbaston but took no part in their second Test win at Lord's.
http://www.skysports.com/cricket/ne...ce-cricket-disciplinary-committee-cdc-hearing
Stokes is accused of affray along with Ryan Ali, 28, and is currently standing trial at Bristol Crown Court. Both deny the charges.
The charges follow an altercation outside a Bristol nightclub on September 25 last year.
Jurors in the case were informed by the judge on Monday they are likely to begin deliberations later in the day, once closing speeches by the prosecution and defence teams have been heard.
Regardless of the outcome, both Stokes and Hales will face a CDC hearing.
The CDC will convene within 48 hours of the conclusion of the legal process.
If Stokes is found not guilty, it will be within two days of the moment he leaves court. If he is found guilty, it will be once the judge has completed the process of sentencing by the court.
Sky Sports News understands the CDC would wish to deliver its verdict on Stokes and Hales within a week of beginning their investigation.
The CDC operates independently from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) but it is funded by them.
Stokes played in England's first-Test victory over India at Edgbaston but took no part in their second Test win at Lord's.
http://www.skysports.com/cricket/ne...ce-cricket-disciplinary-committee-cdc-hearing
James
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To be fair, the latest headline has been a bit overly spiced up.
It is just a quote from the prosecution lawyer, who in his closing summary is trying to paint Stokes in the worst possible light and influence the jury. This is what would happen in any trial.
However Stokes will soon know his fate and objectively this trial has painted him in a pretty poor light, essentially as an immature lager lout.
It is just a quote from the prosecution lawyer, who in his closing summary is trying to paint Stokes in the worst possible light and influence the jury. This is what would happen in any trial.
However Stokes will soon know his fate and objectively this trial has painted him in a pretty poor light, essentially as an immature lager lout.
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The ECB will make an assessment of Ben Stokes’s availability after the trial in Bristol has concluded. : ECB Statement
barah_admi
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Having read some of the witness statements published in the media (one from the bouncer) Stokes comes off as worse than just a lager lout. He tried to bribe his way in, used foul language, made fun of two homosexual men, and then got mixed up in a fight where he brutally assaulted two men. That is a violent and unrepentant man, I say the latter because he has lied (it seems, keeping the witness statements and video footage in mind) through his teeth and painted himself as the victim and protector.
All in all, if found guilty, regardless of how lenient the sentence, the ECB must come down hard.
Abdullah719
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING: England cricket all-rounder Ben Stokes has been found not guilty of affray <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SSN?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SSN</a> <a href="https://t.co/HLxsDtAx5O">pic.twitter.com/HLxsDtAx5O</a></p>— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/SkySportsNews/status/1029333411910045696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
James
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Shocked, but not surprised really, if that makes sense.
Rightly or wrongly, the process has been observed...
Rightly or wrongly, the process has been observed...
Sherlock
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IMMY69
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So where do we stand now?
IMMY69
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I’m surprised too.
At the very least I expected a guilty verdict and community service.
At the very least I expected a guilty verdict and community service.
mak36
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The unpredictability of juries. 
topspin
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Good lawyer and celebrity status always helps!
Robert
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I’m surprised too.
Well, he can put this behind him and move forward.
Well, he can put this behind him and move forward.
Abdullah719
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James
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Members of the jury will all soon be issued with heavy “laundry” bags on the way out of the court house....
Apparently there were several chaotic aspects to the prosecution case:
1. By making all three into co-defendants, they discouraged their barristers from aggressively cross-examining the co-accused. It suited all three to minimise the perceived level of violence.
2. The two gay men had been so drunk that nobody dared call them as (unreliable) witnesses.
3. The prosecution failed to establish what provoked the fight.
1. By making all three into co-defendants, they discouraged their barristers from aggressively cross-examining the co-accused. It suited all three to minimise the perceived level of violence.
2. The two gay men had been so drunk that nobody dared call them as (unreliable) witnesses.
3. The prosecution failed to establish what provoked the fight.
IMMY69
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So a perfect storm then!!
It needed one too because those CCTV footages were pretty damning!
Yossarian
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Surprise, surprise..... not!
Yossarian
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Stokes's lawyer, in his closing speech, claimed that Alex Hales may have been the one who inflicted some of the injuries as the CCTV shows him kicking the man who was down.
This is akin to a situation whereby it is absolutely 100% certain that only one of two accused could have committed a murder, but not enough evidence to absolutely prove which one of the two of them 'pulled the trigger'.
Based upon the notion of 'Beyond reasonable doubt' both have to be found not guilty and allowed to walk away free, even though one of them is a murderer.
This is akin to a situation whereby it is absolutely 100% certain that only one of two accused could have committed a murder, but not enough evidence to absolutely prove which one of the two of them 'pulled the trigger'.
Based upon the notion of 'Beyond reasonable doubt' both have to be found not guilty and allowed to walk away free, even though one of them is a murderer.
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NeVerMind
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Apparently Ben Stokes and the accuser, Ryan Ali, shook hands at the end of the trial (BBC News). So a bit like a hard fought test match that ends in a draw then...
Savak
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Stokes is a very lucky man.
idrizzy
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It's a type of classism. Sportsmen tend to get more leeway than normal citizens purely because of who they are.
Robert
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What [MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION] said, I suggest.
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This has been comedy all around.. England sit him out of the ashes.. all the hoopla.. he looked guilty as anything.. then somehow towards the end hosndefense team also throws team mate Alex hale under the bus.. and now in the end it’s “oh he didn’t do anything wrong”
I wonder what the dressing room environment will be like when they both share it.. also wondering what ECB is thinking now!!! Haha
I wonder what the dressing room environment will be like when they both share it.. also wondering what ECB is thinking now!!! Haha
So what about his 2 co-accused who were also found not guilty and weren't sportsmen?
Hasan123
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He is very lucky. Now this is done it's time to move on and am sure that Stokes controls his temper and is kept in check so no memeber of the public is in danger again.
Abdullah719
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Ben Stokes found not guilty of affray after street brawl outside Bristol nightclub
England cricketer Ben Stokes has been cleared of affray after jurors accepted he was acting in self-defence during an alcohol-fuelled street brawl.
Stokes, 27, insisted he was defending his friend Alex Hales and two gay men when he launched a barrage of punches at a fire brigade worker and an Afghanistan war veteran.
However, the England all-rounder and his teammate Hales, who was never charged, could still face a ban from cricket after one of the most damaging scandals in the national game's history.
Jurors took two hours and 40 minutes to accept evidence that the all-rounder was defending himself during a sustained outbreak of violence which left two men unconscious.
Stokes accepts punching Afghanistan war veteran Ryan Hale, 27, to the ground and then hitting Ryan Ali, who was left with a broken eye socket.
Ali, his co-defendant, was also found not guilty over the 2.30am attack outside a Bristol nightclub last September.
Stokes shook Mr Ali’s hand after the verdicts were returned.
Mr Ali said as he left court: “I’m very relieved. I’m glad it’s all over. That’s all I have to say at this time.”
Tony Miles, solicitor for Mr Ali and Mr Hale, added: “Both our clients are delighted this is over. They just want to get on with their lives.”
Appearing outside court, Stokes’ spokesman said the cricketer had been minding his own business before violence flared.
The spokesman said Stokes had been a victim of “pre-determined guilt” and denied claims he was under a curfew on the night of the brawl.
Stokes refused to answer questions as he walked away from the court with his wife and legal team.
Stokes, who had been drinking heavily and smoking, denied claims he was enraged after a spat with a doorman who had refused to allow him and Hales back into a nightclub hours after England had beaten the West Indies in a one-day international.
Instead, he told how he was leaping to the defence of two clubbers, Kai Barry and William O'Connor, but the Crown claimed CCTV evidence indicated he was mocking the "flamboyant" pair.
Gordon Cole QC, representing Stokes, asked jurors to take into account the "blows, kicks and/or stamps" carried out by Nottinghamshire batsman Hales as they weighed up whether Stokes was to blame for Ali's broken eye socket.
As the jury of six men and six women returned its verdict, Stokes staggered forward in the dock, and puffed out his cheeks as the foreman delivered his not guilty verdict. Wife Claire sobbing in the public gallery.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced this afternoon that Stokes would join the England squad for the third test against India.
A spokesperson said: "Now that the legal proceedings have concluded, the disciplinary process for Ben Stokes and Alex Hales can be scheduled by the Cricket Discipline Commission [CDC].
“Ben Stokes will now join the England squad for the 3rd Specsavers Test against India, which starts at Trent Bridge on Saturday.
“Considerable detail has been heard in this week-long court case and, in due course, there will be a range of matters for the Board to fully consider.”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...t-guilty-affray-street-brawl-outside-bristol/
England cricketer Ben Stokes has been cleared of affray after jurors accepted he was acting in self-defence during an alcohol-fuelled street brawl.
Stokes, 27, insisted he was defending his friend Alex Hales and two gay men when he launched a barrage of punches at a fire brigade worker and an Afghanistan war veteran.
However, the England all-rounder and his teammate Hales, who was never charged, could still face a ban from cricket after one of the most damaging scandals in the national game's history.
Jurors took two hours and 40 minutes to accept evidence that the all-rounder was defending himself during a sustained outbreak of violence which left two men unconscious.
Stokes accepts punching Afghanistan war veteran Ryan Hale, 27, to the ground and then hitting Ryan Ali, who was left with a broken eye socket.
Ali, his co-defendant, was also found not guilty over the 2.30am attack outside a Bristol nightclub last September.
Stokes shook Mr Ali’s hand after the verdicts were returned.
Mr Ali said as he left court: “I’m very relieved. I’m glad it’s all over. That’s all I have to say at this time.”
Tony Miles, solicitor for Mr Ali and Mr Hale, added: “Both our clients are delighted this is over. They just want to get on with their lives.”
Appearing outside court, Stokes’ spokesman said the cricketer had been minding his own business before violence flared.
The spokesman said Stokes had been a victim of “pre-determined guilt” and denied claims he was under a curfew on the night of the brawl.
Stokes refused to answer questions as he walked away from the court with his wife and legal team.
Stokes, who had been drinking heavily and smoking, denied claims he was enraged after a spat with a doorman who had refused to allow him and Hales back into a nightclub hours after England had beaten the West Indies in a one-day international.
Instead, he told how he was leaping to the defence of two clubbers, Kai Barry and William O'Connor, but the Crown claimed CCTV evidence indicated he was mocking the "flamboyant" pair.
Gordon Cole QC, representing Stokes, asked jurors to take into account the "blows, kicks and/or stamps" carried out by Nottinghamshire batsman Hales as they weighed up whether Stokes was to blame for Ali's broken eye socket.
As the jury of six men and six women returned its verdict, Stokes staggered forward in the dock, and puffed out his cheeks as the foreman delivered his not guilty verdict. Wife Claire sobbing in the public gallery.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced this afternoon that Stokes would join the England squad for the third test against India.
A spokesperson said: "Now that the legal proceedings have concluded, the disciplinary process for Ben Stokes and Alex Hales can be scheduled by the Cricket Discipline Commission [CDC].
“Ben Stokes will now join the England squad for the 3rd Specsavers Test against India, which starts at Trent Bridge on Saturday.
“Considerable detail has been heard in this week-long court case and, in due course, there will be a range of matters for the Board to fully consider.”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...t-guilty-affray-street-brawl-outside-bristol/
idrizzy
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My statement goes back to other sportsmen who have committed worse crimes than Stokes but have simply gone under the radar. I still defend my statement re: Stokes and have not commented on the other 2 people.
James
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To be fair, it must have been a unanimous “Not Guilty” verdict to have been returned so quickly after the close of the trial. Perhaps some of the material that went in favour of Stokes (let’s presume for a moment that there was some) was not reported by the media.
Zaz
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Surprise surprise
shaz619
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We should bring back the death penalty for absolute filth like Stokes, this is a travesty of British Justice! our system has failed! I have seen many get away with murder despite being caught red handed so this does not surprise me one bit, I feel ashamed to be British on this day. I apologise to everyone in the UK and around the globe, we have let the world down. At the very least it would have been ideal if Stokes was deported back to New Zealand, don't want a danger like him walking my streets; there are people with family's and all it takes it a brainless drunkard like him to ruin lives if not taking them.
Yossarian
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They didn't knock anyone unconscious, or kick someone's head whilst they were lying unconscious in the road thereby causing serious injuries, or were swinging punches left right and centre with a teammate trying to stop him ....
Given all the evidence, one has to wonder how on earth the jury came to the decision they did regarding Stokes.
The false notion of a jury basing their verdict solely on the evidence presented in court regardless of the identity of the accused can finally be laid to rest.
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Surprised the prosecution didn't call you in to give a statement in court given you've witnessed something no one else has.
Yossarian
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From the sounds of it, the prosecution totally botched it.
It's almost as if whilst giving the impression the prosecution did their utmost to get a guilty verdict, in reality they were quietly sabotaging their own case.
James
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That’s interesting, because I was surprised in the first place that it did not go in at ABH, and that instead it was filed under “affray” which is a more difficult charge to prove.
Basically he should have been planning out his unpaid community work by now (at least), but I presume what really happened is that he was strolling straight back into the nearest pub within an hour of the verdict being read out.
Basically he should have been planning out his unpaid community work by now (at least), but I presume what really happened is that he was strolling straight back into the nearest pub within an hour of the verdict being read out.
Robert
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He's Not Guilty. The jury said so. Theirs is the only opinion which counts.
RainMan_
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And they say law is equal for everyone. What a farce
And, of course, because of this money-saving habit of co-trying multiple defendants, Mohammad Asif was found guilty of offences which even the Prosecution has said in court he didn’t commit!
It was Mohammad Amir whom they said took payment for two no-balls - there was marked cash found in his possession and text messages documenting it.
But Mohammad Asif was found guilty of taking payment for the no-balls, even though the ICC had accepted that he didn’t and even though the Prosecution said that it had no evidence whatsoever that he had been paid, and he later acknowledged doing it under pressure as an unpaid favour to his agent!
So Cairns and Stokes got off. And Mohammad Asif was convicted because the jury confused a Pakistani called Mohammad Asif with a Pakistani called Mohammad Amir!
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Detectives investigating the Ben Stokes street brawl are at war with the Crown Prosecution Service over the disastrous decision to drop probes into England team-mate Alex Hales and instead charge an Afghanistan war veteran.
The Daily Telegraph understands police wanted to abandon their file on one of the wrongly accused, Ryan Hale, within weeks of the alcohol-fuelled fight outside a Bristol nightclub last September.
However, during early consultation meetings with the CPS last year, Avon and Somerset Police were advised to press ahead with files on Hale, his friend Ryan Ali and Stokes, but not Nottinghamshire batsman Hales, sources claim.
As a one-day specialist, Hales will not play for England again until October at the earliest but Stokes is back and was due to meet up with his team-mates in Nottingham on Wednesday night, before the team’s first practice session at Trent Bridge ahead of the third Specsavers Test against India.
Stokes was added to the England squad just hours after the verdict following discussions between Joe Root, Trevor Bayliss, selector Ed Smith and Andy Flower, the interim director of cricket.
Head coach Bayliss is due to talk to the media on Thursday to explain the decision. He faces a headache over which player to leave out after his side’s innings win over India on Sunday but Stokes looks set to replace either Sam Curran or Ollie Pope, the young debutant at Lord’s.
“Stokes walks into most teams around the world and so, back available, I’m sure he will be one of the first names on the team sheet. I’m looking forward to seeing him joining us back at training,” Jos Buttler told Sky Sports.
“It has been a difficult 10 or 11 months for him, I’m sure, but it’s important for him that he can get back to being the amazing cricketer we know and love.”
Stokes and Alex Hales both still face charges of bringing the game into disrepute from a Cricket Discipline Commission, although it is not expected to sit until after the India series. Hales avoided arrest and a charge for his part in the fight, leaving the cricket authorities to discipline him after he was accused in court of appearing to kick a man three times in the head.
Ryan Hale’s legal team expressed open dismay that Hales, 29, escaped charges after footage appeared to show the cricketer kicking Ali as he lay in a gutter. The suggestion that Hales may have broken Ali’s eye-socket formed a key part of Stokes’s defence. Meanwhile, the flawed case against Hale, who had limited involvement, was thrown out after just four days.
Following the acquittals of Stokes and Ali, detectives were left “incandescent” after the CPS sent out a statement saying police took the decision not to charge Hales. “They passed the buck,” a source said. “That statement was hugely frustrating, especially given the fact officers hadn’t even wanted to pursue charges against Hale.”
Detectives wanted Stokes charged with actual bodily harm rather than affray “right from the start”, the source said. However, Alison Morgan, one of Britain’s top prosecutors, made the final decision to prosecute Stokes with the lesser charge, before Nicholas Corsellis failed in a last-minute attempt to get ABH added to the indictment.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2018/08/15/police-furious-alex-hales-let-off-ben-stokes-brawl/
The Daily Telegraph understands police wanted to abandon their file on one of the wrongly accused, Ryan Hale, within weeks of the alcohol-fuelled fight outside a Bristol nightclub last September.
However, during early consultation meetings with the CPS last year, Avon and Somerset Police were advised to press ahead with files on Hale, his friend Ryan Ali and Stokes, but not Nottinghamshire batsman Hales, sources claim.
As a one-day specialist, Hales will not play for England again until October at the earliest but Stokes is back and was due to meet up with his team-mates in Nottingham on Wednesday night, before the team’s first practice session at Trent Bridge ahead of the third Specsavers Test against India.
Stokes was added to the England squad just hours after the verdict following discussions between Joe Root, Trevor Bayliss, selector Ed Smith and Andy Flower, the interim director of cricket.
Head coach Bayliss is due to talk to the media on Thursday to explain the decision. He faces a headache over which player to leave out after his side’s innings win over India on Sunday but Stokes looks set to replace either Sam Curran or Ollie Pope, the young debutant at Lord’s.
“Stokes walks into most teams around the world and so, back available, I’m sure he will be one of the first names on the team sheet. I’m looking forward to seeing him joining us back at training,” Jos Buttler told Sky Sports.
“It has been a difficult 10 or 11 months for him, I’m sure, but it’s important for him that he can get back to being the amazing cricketer we know and love.”
Stokes and Alex Hales both still face charges of bringing the game into disrepute from a Cricket Discipline Commission, although it is not expected to sit until after the India series. Hales avoided arrest and a charge for his part in the fight, leaving the cricket authorities to discipline him after he was accused in court of appearing to kick a man three times in the head.
Ryan Hale’s legal team expressed open dismay that Hales, 29, escaped charges after footage appeared to show the cricketer kicking Ali as he lay in a gutter. The suggestion that Hales may have broken Ali’s eye-socket formed a key part of Stokes’s defence. Meanwhile, the flawed case against Hale, who had limited involvement, was thrown out after just four days.
Following the acquittals of Stokes and Ali, detectives were left “incandescent” after the CPS sent out a statement saying police took the decision not to charge Hales. “They passed the buck,” a source said. “That statement was hugely frustrating, especially given the fact officers hadn’t even wanted to pursue charges against Hale.”
Detectives wanted Stokes charged with actual bodily harm rather than affray “right from the start”, the source said. However, Alison Morgan, one of Britain’s top prosecutors, made the final decision to prosecute Stokes with the lesser charge, before Nicholas Corsellis failed in a last-minute attempt to get ABH added to the indictment.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2018/08/15/police-furious-alex-hales-let-off-ben-stokes-brawl/
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James
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Interesting article, again suggesting that the majority of things that go wrong in the world (in this case - the act itself, the subsequent investigation of the act, then the prosecution of and proposed punishment for the act) are ultimately a result of plain old human incompetence.
Abdullah719
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here's Ben Stokes landing a right hook on Adil Rashid <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cricket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvIND?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ENGvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/p2CIt39WUh">pic.twitter.com/p2CIt39WUh</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1036576269478055936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Stokes at it again
[MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION]
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Stokes at it again
[MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION]
Robert
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here's Ben Stokes landing a right hook on Adil Rashid <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cricket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvIND?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ENGvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/p2CIt39WUh">pic.twitter.com/p2CIt39WUh</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1036576269478055936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Stokes at it again
)
hadi123
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Here's Ben Stokes landing a right hook on Adil Rashid <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cricket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvIND?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ENGvIND</a> <a href="https://t.co/p2CIt39WUh">pic.twitter.com/p2CIt39WUh</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1036576269478055936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Stokes at it again
LOL things like that are hilarious!
Sherlock
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ECB charge Ben Stokes, Alex Hales With Bringing Game Into Disrepute
https://www.ecb.co.uk/england/men/news/853029/cricket-discipline-commission-confirms-hearing-for-stokes-and-hales?utm_source=TWITTER&utm_medium=ECB_cricket&utm_content=100000324392977%2B&utm_campaign=Other+Campaigns
https://www.ecb.co.uk/england/men/news/853029/cricket-discipline-commission-confirms-hearing-for-stokes-and-hales?utm_source=TWITTER&utm_medium=ECB_cricket&utm_content=100000324392977%2B&utm_campaign=Other+Campaigns
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Strange why disrepute was not a problem when he was playing for England vs India?
Innocent until proven/found guilty...
Haroon786
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About time.
Cpt. Rishwat
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I don't know why they don't just drop it, pretty clear from the court case that there was no real appetite to prosecute seriously.
Robert
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I’d argue that missing the Ashes is already enough punishment for the Disrepute charge.
They should send him to anger management and counselling classes.
They should send him to anger management and counselling classes.
James
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He already had an “informal ban” during the Ashes and a few other games.
I agree that anger management classes and counselling would be the way to go with him.
And a big fine.
I agree that anger management classes and counselling would be the way to go with him.
And a big fine.
Robert
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Unsure how Hales brought the game into Disrepute as he appeared to be trying to hold Stokes back.
Amjid Javed
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Wasnt hales supposidly kicking someones head in while on the floor?
Cpt. Rishwat
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Pretty sure he was, one of the doormen gave an eyewitness account. Neither of them came out of it very well, but the wording of the charges and some goodwill towards international superstar cricketers probably went some way to smoothing over the more unattractive details.
Abdullah719
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Ben Stokes and Alex Hales set to learn fate at ECB discipline commission hearing
Ben Stokes will Wednesday head to an internal English cricket hearing into a brawl outside a nightclub last year that cost him his Ashes place with a glowing reference from England coach Trevor Bayliss.
Star allrounder Stokes was acquitted of a criminal charge of affray at a trial in August following the incident in Bristol, southwest England, in September 2017.
But he has still been charged with bringing the game into disrepute by the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Both Stokes and England team-mate Alex Hales, who was with him during the altercation but did not face a criminal charge, are due to appear before a cricket discipline commission (CDC) hearing starting on Wednesday. The CDC, which is expected to announce its decisions on Friday, is responsible for all aspects of discipline covered by the ECB’s rules, regulations and directives.
After the fracas in Bristol, Stokes was stripped of his position as vice-captain of an England Test side skippered by close friend Joe Root and also missed England’s Ashes tour of Australia.
The CDC could decide Stokes has been punished enough already and Bayliss hopes he will not miss any more cricket.
“I hope he’s available for our next game,” said the Australian, who does not want Stokes banned from any part of England’s tour of the West Indies starting next month.
Stokes scored 187 runs at 31.16 and took five wickets at an average of 20.40 during England’s recent 3-0 Test series win in Sri Lanka while also holding several slip catches in a series dominated by spin bowlers. The 27-year-old’s ability to make runs when they were most needed by his side while generating pace from often docile pitches enabled him to make telling contributions.
Sri Lanka coach Chandika Hathurusingha said the Durham allrounder was the difference between the two sides.
His England counterpart, Bayliss, said Stokes was a changed man since the events that led to his appearance in court. ”I think he’s certainly learnt a lesson since that time,” he said. ”The way he’s conducted himself since he has come back into the fold has been exemplary.”
https://www.cricketcountry.com/news...e-at-ecb-discipline-commission-hearing-773465
Ben Stokes will Wednesday head to an internal English cricket hearing into a brawl outside a nightclub last year that cost him his Ashes place with a glowing reference from England coach Trevor Bayliss.
Star allrounder Stokes was acquitted of a criminal charge of affray at a trial in August following the incident in Bristol, southwest England, in September 2017.
But he has still been charged with bringing the game into disrepute by the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Both Stokes and England team-mate Alex Hales, who was with him during the altercation but did not face a criminal charge, are due to appear before a cricket discipline commission (CDC) hearing starting on Wednesday. The CDC, which is expected to announce its decisions on Friday, is responsible for all aspects of discipline covered by the ECB’s rules, regulations and directives.
After the fracas in Bristol, Stokes was stripped of his position as vice-captain of an England Test side skippered by close friend Joe Root and also missed England’s Ashes tour of Australia.
The CDC could decide Stokes has been punished enough already and Bayliss hopes he will not miss any more cricket.
“I hope he’s available for our next game,” said the Australian, who does not want Stokes banned from any part of England’s tour of the West Indies starting next month.
Stokes scored 187 runs at 31.16 and took five wickets at an average of 20.40 during England’s recent 3-0 Test series win in Sri Lanka while also holding several slip catches in a series dominated by spin bowlers. The 27-year-old’s ability to make runs when they were most needed by his side while generating pace from often docile pitches enabled him to make telling contributions.
Sri Lanka coach Chandika Hathurusingha said the Durham allrounder was the difference between the two sides.
His England counterpart, Bayliss, said Stokes was a changed man since the events that led to his appearance in court. ”I think he’s certainly learnt a lesson since that time,” he said. ”The way he’s conducted himself since he has come back into the fold has been exemplary.”
https://www.cricketcountry.com/news...e-at-ecb-discipline-commission-hearing-773465
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