Ben Stokes (1 Viewer)

[bringbackrattles]

So Stokes has been cleared in court of affray. I thought he would get done for assault after watching the incident on TV. He did seem to go over the top, and looked like he wanted to do some damage. Is it because he is a "celebrity" that he's walked away not guilty ? I can't judge him seeing of my past,but personally I reckon he's fortunate.
Thoughts on this ?

 

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[rob9872]

Not at all imo. In fact I think it's because it was a celebrity they tried to make an example of him. It was a drunken brawl that should've been dealt with swiftly at the time and move on. A quick fine and it would all be forgotten. I imagine this happens in every city or town every weekend.

 

[rob9872]

Gay couple at the centre of Ben Stokes trial thank him for 'risking everything'

Interesting too - he always said he was defending them and the prosecutors argued that he made the homophobic remark. The guys themselves silenced until now, so certainly looks like justice was served eventually.

 

[Nick]

What I dont get is why werent they in court?

I dont know too much about the trial apart from what I saw snippets of

One day it was "Ben Stokes made homophonic remarks" and the next it was "Ben Stokes was defending them"

Surely if the 2 blokes are saying he was protecting them how does it even get to a trial based on him being homophobic to them? That article shows it's pretty clear cut.

Also, there was a bouncer who stood up in court saying he was the one picking on the gay couple. The gay couple are saying he was protecting them.

How does that work?

 

[bringbackrattles]

It is a confusing case inasmuch you've got him defending the gay couple, then him taunting and throwing a fag end at them,and the bouncer saying Stokes was looking for trouble etc. But rob is right in saying it should have been dealt as a drunken brawl,and not an affray. But Stokes is still lucky and all involved that they've walked away with a slap on the wrist, as usually you get a fine or something.

 

[Ashdown]

Spilt pint ?

 

[Covstu]

Back in the day this was the norm for cricketers i.e. going out and getting smashed with the odd bout of trouble but now they are more in the spotlight than ever. BS is one of the best all rounders in the game so he needs to be careful about where this takes him. Hopefully he will channel his energy on field rather than off.

 

[Monners]

What I dont get is why werent they in court?

I dont know too much about the trial apart from what I saw snippets of

One day it was "Ben Stokes made homophonic remarks" and the next it was "Ben Stokes was defending them"

Surely if the 2 blokes are saying he was protecting them how does it even get to a trial based on him being homophobic to them? That article shows it's pretty clear cut.

Also, there was a bouncer who stood up in court saying he was the one picking on the gay couple. The gay couple are saying he was protecting them.

How does that work?

It works because the CPS wanted to nail him. THe bouncer gets called to give evidence as it fits the prosecution case, the tow victims of homophobia don't because it pretty much exonerates Stokes as being the aggressor.

 

[chiefdave]

Is it because he is a "celebrity" that he's walked away not guilty ?

If he wasn't a celebrity it would never have made the papers and got to court. Neither side wanted to press charges. Whole thing is a complete waste of time and money.

What I dont get is why werent they in court?

The way I saw it explained is that they would have been called up by Stoke's team to give evidence in his favour but the prosecution got to put their side first and had nothing. It was then obvious he wouldn't be found guilty so his team didn't bother calling anyone up just in case they said something that dropped him in it.

 

[eastwoodsdustman]

Flip side to this is that if any one of us did what he did we'd be facing a stretch inside irrespective of the surrounding circumstances. It wasn't self defence or just a bit of pushing or shoving or a punch thrown. It was a sustained attack. I was shocked when he was found Not Guilty after seeing the film.

 

[vow]

As soon as the bottle began swinging, it looks like the "red-mist" descended on BS and got very angry with the fellas, imo.

 

[Nick]

Flip side to this is that if any one of us did what he did we'd be facing a stretch inside irrespective of the surrounding circumstances. It wasn't self defence or just a bit of pushing or shoving or a punch thrown. It was a sustained attack. I was shocked when he was found Not Guilty after seeing the film.

I've seen police stand and watch much worse and not do anything.

Didn't he just chin both of them rather than stamping on them etc?

 

[vow]

Chinned em both, think Hales took a kick at fella on the floor who had the bottle.

 

[Nick]

Chinned em both, think Hales took a kick at fella on the floor who had the bottle.

To be fair, if the bloke had a bottle then it's even more fair play to stokes.

Who knows what would happen if he didn't knock them both out? They could have bottled him and caused more damage.

 

[vow]

To be fair, if the bloke had a bottle then it's even more fair play to stokes.

Who knows what would happen if he didn't knock them both out? They could have bottled him and caused more damage.

Agreed, but....just think BS should have stopped battering them both after the bottle was discarded. Red-Mist as I said earlier.

 

[Nick]

Agreed, but....just think BS should have stopped battering them both after the bottle was discarded. Red-Mist as I said earlier.

Who knows what he was thinking though? If somebody was threatening with a bottle I wouldn't feel too safe at turning my back and walking away just in case they find another...

He just hit each one once didn't he? It's not as if he was on top of them laying into them.

 

[vow]

Who knows what he was thinking though? If somebody was threatening with a bottle I wouldn't feel too safe at turning my back and walking away just in case they find another...

He just hit each one once didn't he? It's not as if he was on top of them laying into them.

Your man swung the bottle, missed, got pushed to the floor, Hales took a kick, fella lost said bottle and BS then, imo acted OTT/went mental in self-defence due to seeing the bottle, which I believe most of us would possibly get angry at!

Looks like 1-2 punches that landed on the fellas were peaches, toby fayre and Hales was heard telling BS to stop just before the knockouts hit.

 

[I_Saw_Shaw_Score]

Gloucester star signing Danny Cipriani charged with assault

Not one to be upstaged, Cipriani nicked again!

 

[wingy]

I see Danny Cipriani is in the news this morning for something similar.
Hope it's ok to plant it here rather than start a new thread.

 

[Nick]

I see Danny Cipriani is in the news this morning for something similar.
Hope it's ok to plant it here rather than start a new thread.

Assaulting a woman police officer....

 

[wingy]

Assaulting a woman police officer....

Ah they didn't go into that detail on the bulletin I heard
Can't see him getting off on that one then.

 

[Nick]

From how it reads it looks like it has been dealt with already

England rugby star Danny Cipriani has pleaded guilty to two charges of common assault and resisting arrest.

He has been fined £2,000 and £250 in compensation to a female police officer, whose neck was bruised during the incident.

 

[wingy]

From how it reads it looks like it has been dealt with already

Yeah it does
So it must be a retrospective piece and kept quiet?

 

[Nick]

Yeah it does
So it must be a retrospective piece and kept quiet?

I think it only happened a couple of days ago, obviously not pissing about wasting money on big trials.

 

[bringbackrattles]

I got into trouble in the wrong time I reckon. If you had a fight in a pub or outside in the 70's/80's and you got arrested, you went to court and if found guilty usually got sent down,or got a suspended sentence. Now not much happens. Not advocating anyone having a punch up, but if you do they won't treat it seriously now.

 

[Macca]

I got into trouble in the wrong time I reckon. If you had a fight in a pub or outside in the 70's/80's and you got arrested, you went to court and if found guilty usually got sent down,or got a suspended sentence. Now not much happens. Not advocating anyone having a punch up, but if you do they won't treat it seriously now.

Very good point

Pretty much decriminalised now. Never considered by justice system that maybe some people want to go out and enjoy themselves without stepping over people kicking lumps out of each other.

Seriously there are so many opportunities to get involved in combat if you want to and I condone them all. No need to annoy the general public with it

 

[Sick Boy]

I got into trouble in the wrong time I reckon. If you had a fight in a pub or outside in the 70's/80's and you got arrested, you went to court and if found guilty usually got sent down,or got a suspended sentence. Now not much happens. Not advocating anyone having a punch up, but if you do they won't treat it seriously now.

I got done for affray 10 years ago and it was nowhere near as bad as the Stokes incident!

 

[Macca]

I got done for affray 10 years ago and it was nowhere near as bad as the Stokes incident!

So many confusing terms aren't there? I think we should just put them all under "unauthorised rumpus"

 

[bringbackrattles]

I got done for affray 10 years ago and it was nowhere near as bad as the Stokes incident!

I'm not bitter at all as I deserved my punishment, but these blokes are very lucky I reckon in getting away with sod all. I got involved in a brawl in the Acorn pub in the mid 70's, it ended up outside, and by the time the coppers turned up it had ended. Anyway I gobbed off a bit as did my mate so off to the cells we went. Thought they'd let us go to sober up in the morning ? But no we got done for ABH and disorderly behaviour, and ended up getting 18 months. I appealed and got told I could have got longer ! I did 13 months in the Green and Stafford, and when I came out and went in the Acorn pub got told I was barred for life. Now that's what I call being punished !

 

[chiefdave]

I got into trouble in the wrong time I reckon. If you had a fight in a pub or outside in the 70's/80's and you got arrested, you went to court and if found guilty usually got sent down,or got a suspended sentence. Now not much happens. Not advocating anyone having a punch up, but if you do they won't treat it seriously now.

Very true. In the late 80s early 90s when I would be having regular nights on the town it was the same. You rarely saw trouble and if you did there was an intervention pretty quickly.

The thing I find frustrating with this kind of thing, like many things in this country, is the attitude of its just the way it is and nothing can be done.