Ben Stokes made "stupid noises" and "camp gestures" to mimic two gay men outside a nightclub, a doorman said Tuesday at the England cricketer's trial for alleged affray.
Stokes mimicked the "high-pitched" voices of William O'Connor and Kai Barry, two "quite effeminate" regulars at Mbargo nightclub in Bristol, southwest England, said doorman Andrew Cunningham.
On Monday's opening day of the trial at Bristol Crown Court, jurors saw footage of Stokes, 27, brawling with 27-year-old Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale, 28, outside Mbargo in the early hours of September 25 last year.
Stokes -- who starred on Saturday as England beat India in the first Test at Edgbaston -- Ali and Hale each deny a charge of affray.
The prosecution told the jury how Stokes told police he decided to intervene with Ali and Hale because he overheard "nasty homophobic language", then told police he acted in self-defence when he thought he was about to be hit with a bottle.
The prosecution said Stokes first knocked Hale unconscious, then Ali. Cunningham, appearing as a witness, said he knew the "flamboyant and camp" O'Connor and Barry as regulars.
He said Stokes, whom he described 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.
- 'Spiteful' tone -
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"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."
- 'Laughing, joking' together: lawyer -
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"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."