Stokes has not been picked for the second Test between England and India at Lord's.
England all-rounder Ben Stokes has mimicked a gay couple by making "stupid noises" and "camp gestures" outside a nightclub in Bristol last September, a doorman told the court on Tuesday (August 7).
According to AFP reports – “Stokes mimicked the "high-pitched" voices of William O'Connor and Kai Barry, two "quite effeminate" regulars at Mbargo nightclub in Bristol, southwest England,” doorman Andrew Cunningham told a jury at Bristol Crown Court.
On Monday's trial, jurors saw footage of Stokes’ scuffle with Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale outside Mbargo in the early hours of September 25 last year. Interestingly, all three of them have denied the charge of affray.
Reports also suggest that the prosecution told the jury how Stokes told police he decided to intervene with Ali and Hale because he overheard "nasty homophobic language". Stokes also told the police that he acted in self-defence when he thought he was about to be hit with a bottle.
“Stokes first knocked Hale unconscious, then Ali,” the prosecution said.
Cunningham, who was appearing in the trial as a witness, also revealed that he knew the "flamboyant and camp" O'Connor and Barry as regulars. He said Stokes, whom he referred as the "ginger one", and his England team-mate Alex Hales had returned to the club but were not allowed back in as it was after 2:00am.
"The ginger one offered me £60 ($78, 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," mocking Cunningham's gold teeth and tattoos, in a "spiteful" and "angry tone", he said.
The doorman further went on to say that Barry and O'Connor had left the nightclub and were stood outside talking.
"They are quite extravagant people. When they talk, their mannerisms are not as everyone else, they are a bit more flamboyant," Cunningham said.
"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," he elaborated.
Cunningham had to step in saying, "If you are going to start on someone, start on me" when Barry and O'Connor did not appear angry and Stokes flicked a cigarette butt at them.
Questioning police detective constable Daniel Adams, Stokes' lawyer Gordon Cole said Barry and O'Connor had been "taking the mickey" out of Stokes' shoes.
"Mr Stokes, Mr Hales, Mr Barry and Mr O'Connor are outside of the door of Mbargo together -- laughing, looking to be joking," Cole told Adams.
"On the whole, it presents a picture of four people together. It is not homophobic behaviour, is it?
"For about six minutes, all together, laughing, joking, talking and then they walk away."
Ali's lawyer Stephen Mooney then interrupted asking Adams if the action of flicking a cigarette butt at O'Connor could be termed as ‘joking’.
Adams retorted: "No."
The trial, which began on Monday, is likely to last between five and seven days.
Meanwhile, Stokes has not been picked for the second Test between England and India, scheduled to be played at Lord’s from Thursday (August 9).
(With AFP inputs)