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Cricket

Stokes taunted gay men before street brawl, court hears

England international cricketer Ben Stokes mocked two gay men outside a Bristol nightclub before brawling with two other men, a court heard on Tuesday.

Andrew Cunningham told Bristol crown court that Ben Stokes mocked two gay men outside the Bristol nightclub where he worked..
Andrew Cunningham told Bristol crown court that Ben Stokes mocked two gay men outside the Bristol nightclub where he worked.. Reuters/Peter Nicholls
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Andrew Cunningham, a doorman at the Mbargo club, referring to Stokes as "the ginger one", told Bristol crown court that Stokes mimicked the high-pitched voices of William O'Connor and Kai Barry after he had been refused entry back into the nightclub with his England teammate Alex Hales.

"The ginger one offered me £60 (67 euros) and asked me if that would get them in," Cunningham said.

"He had a conversation with his friend and he said: '£300, get us in', and I still told them no. He got a bit verbally abusive."

Cunningham told the jury of seven men and five women that after insulting him, Stokes turned his attentions to O'Connor and Barry who were talking outside the club.

"They are quite extravagant people," Cunningham said. "When they talk, their mannerisms are not as everyone else, they are a bit more flamboyant.

"The ginger guy picked up on this and started to take the mick out of them. He started to mimic their actions. He didn't speak, he just made noises to sound like them because if you hear them speak they are quite high-pitched guys.

"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."

A cigarette butt was then flicked at the men. Cunningham said he was about to step in just as Ryan Hale urged Stokes not to be provocative.

Stokes, 27, from Castle Eden, Durham; Ryan Ali, from Bristol and Hale, from Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol, all deny affray.

Nicholas Corsellis, prosecuting, told the jury that Stokes initially told police that he decided to intervene with Ali and Hale because he overheard homophobic language. He told police he acted in self-defence when he thought he was about to be hit with a bottle.

Corsellis said Stokes first knocked Hale unconscious, then Ali.

The case continues.

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