Footballer Stokes charged over dangerous driving incident in which drugs found

07 January 2023 , 10:10

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Anthony Stokes has been charged in connection with an alleged dangerous driving incident (Image: Getty Images)

Former Republic of Ireland footballer Anthony Stokes has been charged in connection with an alleged dangerous driving incident in which police say drugs were also found.

Stokes, a former Celtic, Sunderland and Arsenal frontman, is already wanted in Scotland after failing to appear at a court sentencing hearing. He was pulled over by Gardai - the national police service of Ireland - in Crumlin, Dublin in the early hours of Friday morning following the alleged incident.

It was believed that the vehicle was being driven dangerously with another male in his 30s having also been present. Both men were arrested and detained at Crumlin Garda Station overnight.

The vehicle was then searched where a quantity of suspected drugs estimated to be worth in the region of €4,500 (£3,968) was discovered. A garda spokesperson said: “Gardaí arrested two men (aged in their 30s) in the early hours of Friday morning, 6th January 2023 in relation to incidents of dangerous driving in Dublin 12.

“A quantity of drugs was also recovered from the offending vehicle. Both men were detained in Crumlin Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 and have been charged in relation to this. They have since been bailed and are due to appear before court at a later date.”

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Both men were questioned in Crumlin Garda Station before they were station charged in connection with the dangerous driving incident. They were then released from the station and have yet to be given a formal date to appear in court in relation to the charge.

Anthony Stokes played just under 200 games for Celtic (Getty Images)

Stokes is still wanted on the foot of an arrest issued in Scotland in relation to an ongoing sentencing hearing that he failed to attend. The warrant for Stokes' arrest came after he failed to show up in Hamilton Sheriff Court - despite being on bail in Scotland having been arrested and sent there from Northern Ireland earlier this year.

The former Republic of Ireland footballer and Celtic player was banned from contacting his former partner and her mother for four years in September 2019 and was handed four-year non-harassment orders after he admitted stalking.

At the time, sentencing was deferred for Stokes to be of good behaviour. He was also embroiled in another incident back in 2013 for headbutting an Elvis Presley impersonator in a nightclub.

Anthony Stokes includes Blackburn Rovers among his employers (Getty Images)

Stokes, 34, began his playing career with Shelbourne before going on to join the Arsenal academy. His most successful stint came with Celtic having scored 76 goals in 191 appearances for the Scottish giants.

The nine-time Irish international also had spells in Turkey, Greece and Iran before hanging up his boots after a three-week spell with Livingston.

He can also list the likes of Sheffield United, Blackburn Rovers, Crystal Palace and Hibernian among his long list of employers.

Daniel Orme