Stokes attacked with revenge on mind, prosecutor tells court

Bristol, August 6 

England cricketer Ben Stokes lost self-control and knocked two men unconscious in a street fight last September, a court heard on Monday as his trial for affray began. Stokes, acting in “revenge, retaliation or punishment”, was involved in a “sustained episode of significant violence”, prosecutor Nicholas Corsellis told a jury at Bristol Crown Court in southwest England.

Stokes, 27, who starred on Saturday as England beat India at Edgbaston, is being tried alongside 27-year-old Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale, 28. Each of them deny the charge of affray. They had all been drinking inside a Bristol nightclub. The fight took place outside after 2am on September 25 last year, the prosecutor said. They were all involved in threatening and/or using unlawful violence towards each other, it is alleged.

Corsellis said only the defendants knew how the fracas began and it could have been stopped very quickly. “During the incident, 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 said.

“He knocked Hale unconscious and then — after time to pause for thought, to calm — he did exactly the same to Ali. Ali received significant injuries, including a fractured eye socket, and required hospital treatment.” — Reuters