Former Arsenal and Celtic footballer Anthony Stokes has been put behind bars after turning himself in at a police station in Scotland.
The retired striker has been chased by the authorities for failing to seem in court docket following “offensive messages” he’d despatched to his ex-girlfriend. Stokes despatched the texts to Eilidh Scott and her father, George.
After failing to seem in court docket for a 3rd time to be sentenced, Scottish authorities introduced in October 2023 that they had been looking out for Stokes. However, he flew from Dublin to Scotland and eventually handed himself over at a Motherwell police station on Thursday, as per the Daily Record.
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Sheriff Diane Turner confirmed Stokes has been denied bail and could be remanded in jail till subsequent month whereas background data on the case is gathered. Stokes’ lawyer, Jim O’Dowd, mentioned his shopper was too busy with different court docket issues in Ireland, and that is why he wasn’t listening to this case.
The lawyer additionally mentioned: “He realises he finds himself in some difficulty here. He flew from Dublin and handed himself in at Motherwell police office last night and appears now today.
“The case has a little bit of historical past and it will not be misplaced on him, the court docket or myself that he has failed to show up previously and that the foremost within the court docket’s thoughts will probably be remanding him in custody.”
(Image: REX/Shutterstock)
Legal counsel defined: “He tells me he had a condition previously where he had to sign on at London Road police station twice a week, and he was doing that, but he has another case in Dublin which, distracted him for another serious matter.
“He is lifelike about what would possibly occur right here, but when lucky sufficient to be granted bail he would observe all the circumstances imposed and switch up at court docket.”
Sheriff Turner stated: “Given the character of the costs, which embody breaching bail orders, I’ll defer sentence for stories and you can be remanded in custody.” Stokes had messaged Scott and her father George regardless of court docket orders to not contact them.
(Image: PA)
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He additionally repeatedly phoned Miss Scott’s mom, Rachel, breaking the identical court docket order. An arrest warrant was issued for him in 2021 when he failed to seem in court docket for sentencing.
Only hours after it was issued, the defiant participant posted a selfie on social media asking: “Any bad news?” In July 2022, he was arrested in Northern Ireland and confronted court docket through video hyperlink.
He was granted bail however failed to indicate once more, main to a different warrant being issued. A 3rd arrest warrant was taken out in October of the identical yr. Stokes admitted in 2019 that he despatched a sequence of abusive messages to Scott over WhatsApp and electronic mail.
(Image: Daily Record)
He known as her offensive names, confirmed up at her home in Shotts, Lanarkshire, late at evening and demanded to know the place she was. This abuse went on from July 2018 to February 2019.
In September 2019, Stokes was given a four-year non-harassment order to steer clear of Scott and her mother and father. He was additionally placed on a programme to cease home abuse.
Stokes started his skilled soccer profession at Arsenal, having joined their academy in 2003 aged 15. He left the membership in 2007, and his greatest success got here with Celtic, the place he spent six years and scored 76 objectives. His final membership was Livingston within the 2020/21 season.