BRISTOL, England (AP) — England cricket player Ben Stokes has been found not guilty for his role in a street fight.
England cricketer Ben Stokes with his wife Clare walk back to Bristol Crown Court, after a lunch break where he is on trial accused of affray, in Bristol, England, Monday, Aug. 13, 2018. (Ben Birchall/PA via AP)
Stokes was on trial for knocking out two men in the southwest English city of Bristol last September. Stokes said he was acting in self-defense.
As the verdicts were delivered at Bristol Crown Court on Tuesday, Stokes closed his eyes and then looked up.
Stokes was the most expensive overseas recruit in the annual player auction for the Indian Premier League this year. The Rajasthan Royals paid $1.95 million for Stokes to play in the six-week Twenty20 competition.
The criminal case led to Stokes missing some of England’s biggest matches, including the Ashes tour of Australia and the second test against India last week.
© Copyright 2018 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
