Avon & Somerset Police seek prosecution advice on charging Ben Stokes

Will he or will he not has been the biggest question in the cricketing circles for the last couple of months. England all-rounder Ben Stokes was involved in an ugly brawl in Bristol which led to his arrest and is likely that he might face charges against him. There has been constant discussion and debate over his participation in the ongoing Ashes amidst awaiting the police report. In the latest development, the Avon & Somerset Police released a statement.

In a Twitter post, the authorities stated that they seek advice from the Crown Prosecution Services on the charges they could press on the English cricketer who was arrested on the suspicion of causing bodily harm to two individuals in Bristol on the morning of September 25.

Police update on the investigation

“We’re now in a position to provide an update on our investigation into a disorder in Bristol which happened during the early hours of Monday, 25 September. A 27-year-old man suffered a fractured eye socket in the incident on Queens Road, Clifton. A 26-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm and was later released under investigation,” the statement read.

As per the police, three individuals volunteered to help in the investigation and were interviewed to gain as much information as possible to arrive at a conclusion.

“Three other men, aged 26, 27 27, 28 have all voluntarily attended police stations for interview. Today (29/11) we have passed a file to the Crown Prosecution Service and are now seeking charging advice,” it further read.

There are two theories one that Stokes went aggressive and attacked the two men as it appeared on the CCTV footage that surfaced soon after the incident. And the other floated in his defence is that the cricketer was protecting a gay couple against homophobes who threatened to harm them.

Stokes is currently in New Zealand to participate in the domestic competition and has had ECB’s support thus far despite being provisionally suspended. The next couple of weeks will determine if the cricketer faces jail time or will be back on the field to bail England in the Ashes.

Here's an update on our investigation into a disorder on Queens Road, Bristol on 25 September. pic.twitter.com/FXPt4xR3D4

— Avon&Somerset Police (@ASPolice) November 29, 2017