Ben Stokes trial: England all-rounder found not guilty of affray
England all-rounder Ben Stokes has been found not guilty of affray by a jury at Bristol Crown Court.
The 27-year-old all-rounder punched Ryan Hale, 27, to the ground and then knocked out Ryan Ali, 28, during the fracas in the early hours of September 25 last year in Bristol city centre.
Stokes was left out of England's squad for the third Test with India at Trent Bridge while the trial was ongoing, but it remains to be seen if the ECB will reinstate the Durham man after the not guilty verdict.
Stokes had denied the charge of affray and said he was acting in self-defence, or in the defence of others, when he punched the two best friends hours after England played the West Indies in a one-day international in the city.
The jury at Bristol Crown Court took under three hours to acquit Stokes and co-accused Ali of affray following a seven day trial.
At the start of the trial the Crown tried to amend the indictment and charge Stokes with two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm but this was rejected by the judge.
And half way through the trial Stokes' legal team attempted to have the case against him dropped but this was also refused by the judge.
Stokes missed the second Test against India at Lords and was not included in the squad for the third Test, beginning on Saturday at Trent Bridge, because of the on-going court proceedings.
Details of the Ben Stokes case
Both Stokes and Ali claim they were acting in self-defence and blamed each other for being the aggressor.
Stokes was arrested and asked why he punched Ali. He told police: "Because he was abusing my two friends for being gay."
Stokes maintained he heard best friends Ali and Mr Hale direct homophobic abuse at Mr O'Connor and Mr Barry - but was unable to say what those words were.
And when he intervened, telling the pair: "You shouldn't be taking the piss because they are gay," Stokes said Ali replied: "Shut the f*** up or I'll bottle you."
He described his co-accused as "aggressive and violent" towards himself, Mr Hales, Mr Barry and Mr O'Connor and denied he had "overexaggerated the exchange" in order to "justify his own violent behaviour".
Ali told jurors the England cricketer "was very angry and looking for someone to pick on" and said that deciding to use a bottle as a weapon would be a "difficult decision for me to take".
"I would have to perceive a significant threat to do that. I can hear myself saying 'Move away'," he said.
Stokes and Ali tussled and fell to the floor and when the sportsman got back to his feet Mr Hale was stood in front of him.
Mr Hales tries to grab Stokes, repeatedly begging his teammate to stop, telling him "Stokes, Stokes, that's enough".
Mr Hales, who was interviewed under caution but never arrested in relation to the incident, was seen on the CCTV stamping and kicking Ali in the head as he lay on the floor.
Witnesses described seeing a group of men acting like "football hooligans" and dialled 999.
Ali, an emergency services worker, suffered a fractured eye socket while Mr Hale, a former soldier, was left with concussion.
Stokes, of Stockton Road, Castle Eden, Durham, and Ali, of Forest Road, Bristol, each denied a charge of affray. Mr Hale was found not guilty last week of affray by the jury on direction of the judge.
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